The record-union., 1899-07-29
The Question as Viewed by DipIo-
mats Of the Dominion.
Opinions Expressed by Sir Charles Upper
cad Minister Of Justice Mills.
The Latter Asserts That the Cana
dian Contention is Supported
Not Only by American Prece-
dents, but by the Language OF
4 the Treaty.

NEW YORK, July 2S.-The "Her-
AIDS correspondent at Ottawa, mas
interviewed Sir Charles Upper, lead
er of the opposition, and Senator David
Mills, Minister of Justice, on the Alas
ka boundary question. Senator Mills
went to great length to show that the
Canadian contention was supported not
only by American presidents, but by
the language OF the treaty.
The settlement of the question" ne
said, 'in accordance with our conten
ton, is a matter of great Importance
to Canada because it gives US easy and
inexpensive ingress to our own terri
tory, whereas if the United States win
it will be great detriment to us and of
little benefit to them. 1 recall a boun
g dairy dispute between the United
States and Great Britain in which the
American authorities contended that
their view ought to prevail because the
concession was of great advantage to
them without being seriously injurious
to England
After detailing the Canadian conten-
ton that the line was to follow the
winding "of the coast" and cross the
mouths of inlets and estuaries from
headland to headland without follow
ing the sinuosities of these arms of the
sea- Senator Mills made this state
ment Just why the Americans re-
fused to arbitrate or to compromise ex-
cept on conditions impossible to us IS
shown in the treaty of $50. By the
seventh article of that treaty, the YES
sells of Russia and England, or those be-
longing to their respective subjects
We're mutually to be at liberty without
any hindrance whatever TO enter all
the inland seas, CULTS, Ravens and
creeks for the purpose of. fishing and
trading with the natives By article
10 the British and Russian vessels nav
igating the Pacific Ocean, if compelled
by storm or accident, were allowed to
take shelter in the ports of the respec
tive parties, and We're at liberty to re-
fit there.
Now is II act too clear to adr -
of question that the contracting par
ties assumed that under the provisions
of this treaty there were ports and es-
tuaries along the coast that were I'M
der the sovereignty of each? Yet if
the United States contention is correct,
there were no ports and no waters re-
manning to Great Britain.
las a matter of fact, if the treaty is
followed, the Lynn Canal will be found
to be entirely within Canadian terri
tory. This point was made in thu
commission. On that Canada would
have won. That is why there is no
arbitration
Sir Charles Upper said: 1.-The stu
alton is this: In a treaty made between
Great Britain and Russia in 1925 the
boundary between the Russian posses
sions and the British possessions was
defined. The United States have come
into possession of all the rights of Rus
STA and it was proposed some years ago
that that boundary should be delin-
itated. Persons We're appointed at the
request of Great Britain and the Unit
ed States to explore survey and report
in order that the question might be
taken up and settled.
When Joseph Chamberlain, Lord
Sackville and myself We're appointed in
1887 to negotiate with the United
States for the settlement of matters
affecting Canada, we were charged
with the settlement of the Alaskan
boundary in conjunction with a COM
mission. consisting of Senator Bayard,
Judge Putnam and Professor Angelic.
Mr. Bayard took the ground that we
had not sufficient information and must
get more as to the topography of the
country before we could submit it for
settlement, so the question was post
poned and the discussion went on.
This subject has acquired additional
Importance owing to the discovery of
gold in the Canadian Yukon territory
"All that Canada asks-all that she
has ever asked-is that if the United
States and Great Britain are not agreed
upon the meaning of the treaty provid-
ing for the delimitation of the boun-
dairy the matter should be dealt with
as all matters of a similar character are
dealt with, by the appointment of an
international commission to settle the
question just as the boundary between
Venezuela and British Guiana is being
settled to-day in Paris. Canada pro-
posed in the commission that in refer
ence to such board of international
experts the reference should be in the
express terms in which the Venezuelan
matter was submitted and accepted by
Great Britain.
.The United States refused the terms
proposed by Canada and Great Bri-
tain, and decided that it would agree
to commission of three on each side.
without any umpire at all, unless the
lea. The United States also stipulat
ed that it would have no arbitration at
all unless it was previously agreed
that, in case the arbitrator found that
the existing settlement of Skaguay and
i. Dyea We're in British or Canadian ter
ritory, 1t should be agreed that the
United States should retain them.
Il have arrived at the conclusion
that, as under existing regulations
these avenues to the Canadian Yukon
are in the possession of the United
States and that as from the last step it
is evident the United States has no
confidence in the result of an arbtra-
ment, that country has determined that
s there shall be no settlement of the
question. and that it shall enjoy the
position that the absence of the de-
markation of the boundary gives it to
monopolize communication with the
Yukon. where at least 60 per cent of
the miners are American and which it