The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-21
LUMBER AND THE
ALASKA BOUNDARY
Stumbling Blocks of the
Joint Commission.
AN ADJOURNMENT TAKEN
Special Dispatch to The Call.

| WASHINGTON, Feb. 20.-The Ameri
Canadian joint high commission,
after a session to-day, adjourned TO
meet at Quebec, August 2, unless the
! chairmen of the respective commissions
agree upon another date. There were
several reasons which prompted the ac-
| ton taken to-day.
From a statement made public with
| the sanction of the two commissions 1t
| appears there were serious differences
| Of opinion between them regarding the
| important matter of the delimitatfon OF
the Alaskan boundary, the Canadians
| in this connection being anxious to OBJ
tain a seaport in Lynn canal so that its
| shippers would not be subjected to the
petty annoyances which they asserted
! they experienced at the hands of United
! States officials Then the time for the
meeting of the Canadian Parliament, at
which the presence of members Of the
| commission from that country is de-
| sired, is overdue, and the latter are
| anxious to return as soon as possible.
| 1t also became apparent that there was
| little likelihood of ratification by the
United States Senate at the present ses-
sion of any treaty which might be
framed, which also probably figured in
the decision to adjourn.
a dozen important questions were re-
ferred TO the commission for its con-
sideration and the commissioners state
that substantial progress in the settle
ment and adjustment of many OF the
questions has been made. Probably
those which have given the most seri-
GUS trouble and proved a STUN bling
block TO a final agreement on all have
been the two relating to lumber and the
Alaskan boundary question, on both of
which the Canadians have demanded
concessions which the Americans felt
1t would be prejudicial to the best in
terests of the United States to grant
1t was felt also that an adjournment
for few months might result in a bet
ter prospect for harmony and a dispo-
sition on the part of the Canadians to
agree to propositions made to them by
the commissioners on this side of the
boundary line.
Senator Fairbanks, chairman of the
American commission, has repeatedly
stated that there was no basis for the
reports Of a rupture in the relations of
the two bodies and tonight supple
mented this by saying that they were
on the best of terms. On behalf of their
respective commissions Senator Fair
banks, the chairman Of the American
board, and Sir Wilfrid Laurier acting
chairman in the absence of Lord Her
schell, who is i'll, of the Canadian board,
made the following public statement
respecting the action taken to-day;
The commission adjourned to meet at
Quebec August unless the chairmen of
the respective committees shall agree
upon another date The commission has
made very substantial progress in the set
Element and adjustment of many of the
questions upon which it has been earnest
~ engaged. But 1t has been unable to
agree upon the settlement of the Alaskan
boundary. This problem is complicated
and difficult but the commissions, acting
in the utmost friendliness and cordially,
have been unable to agree upon a salts
factory adjustment. The difficulties, apart
from the immediate delimitation of this
boundary by the commission itself, arise
from the conditions under which II might
be referred to arbitration. The British
commissioners desired that the whole
question should be referred on terms sim
liar to those provided in the reference of
of the Venezuela boundary line and which
by providing an umpire would insure GER
tainty and finality; The United States
thought the local conditions in Alaska so
different that some notifications of the
Venezuelan boundary reference should be
should be made 10 the six eminent jur-
lists. three chosen by each of the high
an umpire they believing that ffnality
would be secured by majority vote of
I the jurists so chosen. They did not see
any present prospect of agreeing to a
/
manner proposed by the British commits
sioners while the British commissioners
were unwilling to agree to the selection
| of an American umpire in the manner
suggested by the United States commits
sioners. The United States commissioners
further contended that special stipula
tons should be made in any reference
to arbitration that the existing settle
ments on the tidewaters of the coast
should in any result continue to belong to
the United States. To this contention the
British commissioners refused to agree
1t was therefore deemed advisable to adj
journ to a convenient date In order to
enable the respective governments TO fur
Their consider the subject with respect to
which. no conclusion has yet been re-
ported.
NEW YORK, Feb 2O.-An ottawa,
Ont, special to the Herald says: Sir
Charles Topper, leader of the Conserva-
tive opposition, who has represented
Canada in several negotiations with the
United States, notably those Of 1888
when the treaty was concluded which
was afterward thrown out by the
United States Senate, was asked to-
night what he thought of the news
from Washington that the labors of the
Joint high commission had come to
naught. He said:
the failure of the present negotiations.
because everybody here is aware that the
Government has not only exhibited COM
plete incapacity to deal with such ques-
lions and that their record was such as to
render 1t vain for a hope to get any ia
States To recall that they were the
same men who in 1891 proposed unre-
stricted reciprocity with the United