The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-08
Light on tho Alaska Boundary Question


Light on tho Alaska Boundary Question.
1t is reported that the British Foreign
Oftlce has ratified the Alaskan provisional
boundary line agreed upon by Secretary Of
State HAY and Mr. TOWER, the British
Charge dAffares. The glst OF the agree
ment is, that to Canada shall DO granted
for one year the lease OF port on the Lynn
Canal. AS to the method by which final
agreement may be reached, two suggestions
have been made First, a remission of the
delimitation of the line to the Joint High
Commission, its conclusions to be subject,
Of course, to ratification by the Senate;
secondly, a court Of arbitration empowered
to decide between the lines submitted by
the two governments, but not authorized
to select any compromise boundary
There is reason to apprehend that a ref
erence OF the matter to the Joint High Com
mission would be II waste OF time, for,
should the Commission award port on the
Lynn Canal to Canada, the award In all
likelihood would be rejected by the Senate.
Neither in view Of our recent experience
in the case of Venezuela is it likely that our
Government would consent to refer the de-
Limitation of the boundary to a court OF
arbitration, unless it We're expressly etipu-
lated that no compromise boundary should
BE- selected. A modus uirendi is one thing;
the definite surrender Of territory to which
W. believe our title to lie perfect would be
quite another thing.
How good our title is to strip extending
ten miles inland from the edge of the
mainland, and not from the outer edge of
adjacent Islands, il cogently set forth by
Prof. J. b. MOORE, formerly Assistant
Secretary OF State, in the October number
oi the North American Rerier. Mr. MOORE
discusses the correspondence which took
place between the British and Russian
authorities previously to the conclusion
Of the treaty which defined the
frontier of Alaska. He shows that
the Russians insisted upon preserving II
strip Of the mainland as the means of
utilizing the adjacent islands He shows,
also, that, after prolonged correspondence,
Nh STAMFORD CANNING proposed that the
boundary should follow the crest OF the
mountains in direction parallel to the
cpast," but he added that, if the crest should
br found anywhere to be more than ten
leagues from the sea, the boundary should
there be "a line parallel to the sinuosities
% the coast, 50 that the line OF demarca-
ton shall not be anywhere more than ten
leagues from the coast"
FiN proposal was accepted as a COM
premise, and treaty framed In pursuance
81 1t was signed. Up to twenty-six Years
ai'O, the boundary as then understood
hE both governments. was unquestion.d
il 'ppears on all the maps, including those
al. Ia, 4
distance OF ten leagues the sinuosjties OF
the coast, and running around the heads OF
Ia" nlets, including the Lynn Canal, and
giving to Russia an unbroken strip OF the
mainland up TO Mount st. Elias.
y iact more significant than any map Is
pointed out by Mr.. MOORE nam rly, that
the greater part Of the mainland strip was
for many years after 1890, leased from
Russia at an annual rental by the Hudsol's
Bay Company. This lease embraced the
coast exclusive OF islands) and the interior
country belonging to Russia situated
between Cape Spencer on Cross Sound and
latitude tifty-four degrees forty minutes.
including the whole mainland coast and
interior country belonging to Russia east
and south OF an imaginary line drawn from
Cape Spencer to Mount Fairweather" Bv
an agreement which received the sanction
of both the British and the Russian Royern-
ments, this strip was exempted from moles-
tation during the Crimean War.
As to the southern limit of the strip thus
. leased. n line through Portland Channel
continued to be the uncontested boundary
till about 1873. when Canadian writer's
suggested that the line should run through
Bshm Canal, or by some other way than
Portland Channel because, while the line
Is required by the treaty to ascend to the
north" from the southernmost point Of
Prince OF Wales Island it must first run
TO the east in order to enter Portland
Channel; and, secondly, because the head
OF Portland Channel does not reach the
nfly-siNth degree OF north latitude. Mr..
MOORE contends that the suggestion, be-
sides disregarding the historical and geo
graphical evidence. including that of the
British Admiralty charts, presupposes q
minutencss and accuracy of description
which the negotiators did not essay.
Tie drawing OF the line through Portland
Channel was part of the plan allowing to
Russia, in return for her abandonment of
abnormal jurisdictional claims, and her
concessions in respect OF trade, a strip of
territory on the mainland as q barrier be-
tween her islands and the British posses-
sions in the interior. Mr. MOORE shows
how the Representatives OF Great Britain.
AFTER proposing several other boundaries
hally aecepte9 the line through Portland