The Republican journal., 1899-08-10
England Reverses Canada.

Engl land has done just what every SEN
sible person expected she would do. She
has reopened the Alaskan bound airy ques
ton, and transferred the centre of nego
tiations from London to Washington.
The reasons why she did this appear on
the surface of things. Canada has been
managing and bungling the matter so
long that thoughtful people both in Eng
land and the United States began to feel
that a dangerous situation had arrived.
laurer, the Premier of Canada, declared
the other day that the alternatives in the
boundary dispute were arbitration or war,
and he intimated that the nited States
would not submit the dispute to arbitra-
ton. The leader of the opposition party
in Canada, Upper, was even more trucu-
lent than Laurer The impression gain
ed from glance at the outgivings of these
persons was that war was close at hand,
and that Canada was glad of it. Natural
ly this condition of things could not be
permitted by England to continue long.
Canada had to be overruled by England,
and the work has been done neatly but
effectively.
The reason why the United States has
been unwilling to submit to arbitration
the points which Canada wants to have
submitted is that there was no dispute on
these points until about year ago or
after the discovery of gold in the Klondike
and in Alaska. The boundary which the
United States claims was always conceded
by Canada and all the rest of the world
until after the gold discoveries. Natural
ly this country refuses either to give up
any territory which was always reoogniz-
ed as belonging to her, OF to submit the
question OF its ownership to the uncer-
tain decision OF an outside tribunal
There is very good reason for the assump-
ton that England all along recognized the
justice of the American position, but for
reasons of imperial policy has usually de-
ferred to the wishes of Canada on all is
sues in which that dependency was close
ly concerned. Apparently there is a sort
Of promise on England part still that
Canada wishes are going to be closely
consulted 10y her in dealing with the af-
far. This concession amounts to but lit
tie, however. England veto of Canada S
war talk and her transfer of the negotia-
lions to Washington means that the Two
big countries will deal with the issue
themselves hereafter, and that the de-
sires and the prejudices of the dependency
will have very little weight in the mat
ter.
AS this position is the only one which
| could be maintained by England with any
show Of reason it will undoubtedly be
held, Canada S pretentions were not only
absurd, but they threatened to bring war.
In a conflict although Canada herself
would be overrun by the armies of both
the big countries, she herself could do
little. Neither her Premier nor her Par
lament has the power to declare war.
That is power which belongs to England
Canada has no army or navy wherewith
TO wage war if it were declared Here,
too, she would have to rely ON England
She is only a dependency of Great Brit
ain, although her statesmen and news
papers pretend that she dictates British
policy on all questions like that of boun-
diaries in North America. 1t is her de-
! tenselessness and responsibility which
makes her SO truculent She knows that
the fighting on her own side will have to
be done by some other country, if there
should be any fighting. Naturally. that
other country, which is just as averse to
lighting over an issue in which she would
be in the wrong as the United States or
any other civilized nation would be, in :
tervenes and stops the offensive activity
of her colony. The Alaskan boundary
question will be settled amicably. 1t will
be settled on the general lines laid down
by the United States. History, prescrip-
tive right and justice are on the Ameri-
can side on this issue, as England recog-
nizes, and these things in the long run
always win. St. Louis Globe Democrat.