Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-24
Proposed Concession in the Dispute
With Canada.
NOT ALARMED BY WAR" TALK
Negotiations Between Secretary
Hay and Mr.. Tower.
SOME HOPE OF SUCCESS

Direct negotiations respecting the Alas
kan boundary are now in progress between
Secretary Hay and Mr.. Tower, the British
charge here. Thus the circle has been COM
pleted and the matter comes back to the
State Department and the British en-
bassy, just where it began last February
when the joint commission adjourned.
The negotiations are directed toward an
adjustment of the issue by amicable ar
rangement between the parties, though on
somewhat different lines from those pur-
sued during the spring and summer. The
principals are not without hope that sue
cess may attend their efforts, and then
there is arbitration yet in reserve in case
of failure on the present lines.
Inasmuch as the Canadian officials have
laid stress upon the refusal of the United
States to accept fair arbitration of the
pending question, 1t may be proper to eX-
plain authoritatively the reason for re-
fusal. In the first place our government
is absolutely certain of the soundness of
Its claims in the matter of the boundary.
Fear of a Compromise.
That would seem to be good reason for
submitting the matter to arbitration, for it
might be expected that a good cause had
nothing to fear from fair arbitrators. But
unfortunately for such claims our govern
nenl nOlQS dTDllTdtOTS are almost all SuD-
jeet to the fatal weakness of compromis-
ing. In our case any compromise would
amount to the loss of our whole conten-
ton. for once Canada is admitted to the
Lynn canal we would be deprived of the
only weapon which we now possess for the
protection of our miners going into the
Klondike from eXtortiOn and perhaps eX-
pulsion. 1t was for this reason that Sec
retary Hay rejected the Canadian proposal
to arbitrate, attended by the condition that
in any case Pyramid harbor should be be
slowed upon Canada. Then, too, 1t is real
lied that an agreement to arbitrate might
be extremely unpopular in the west, so
that the officials will be glad to adjust the
matter without resort to arbitration if pos
sible
Proposed Concession.
This has caused a revival of the project
to allow Canada free pert privileges at
some specified ports on the Lynn canal,
Dyea, Skaguay or Pyramid harbor, per
haps. while allowing sovereignty over them
to remain in the United States, and this is
one of the propositions that is now engag
ing attention. 1t is realized that this plan
too, would meet with strong opposition
from that element which favors 10 conces
sion whatever to Canada. But it is thought
that the advantage Of such an arrangement
would not be entirely on one side, for GER
tainly American miners might reasonably
expect to benefit a good deal from the con-
struction of the proposed railroad running
from a free Canadian port on the Lynn
canal straight through to Dawson in the
heart of the Klondke
The officials here are in nowise alarmed
at the recent developments at Ottawa, feel
iEg confident that Sir Wifrid Lauriers 6
Ctterance in which he mentioned the word
war as an alterI ative TO arbitration was
given a meaning not intended by the Cana
dian premier. The strong language attrib-
Uted to Sir Charles Tupper is Eot credited
to the Canadian government, and it is real
lied that great latitude may properly be
allowed in viewing the utterances of mem
bers of opposition party