The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-10
Line OF ALASKA
WATERSHED ON WHITE PASS
WILL BE ACCEPTED BY THE
COMMISSION
LYNN CANAL Is The KEY
CANADIANS WISH TO SECURE A
POINT OF ENTRY TO THE
KLONDIIxE MINES
FAIRBANKS FOSTER PARTY

Members of 1t Return to Tacoma
After Investigating the Interna-
tiOnaI boundary PrObIem-The
White and ChiII1OOt Passes Con-
stitute the Storm Center of the
Controversy.
TACOMA, Wash, July 9.-The Fair
banks-Foster Alaskan boundary party re-
turned from the north today, and inter
views with members of the party indicate
that the water shed on White Pass, hack
OF Skaguay and Dyea, will be accepted
as the international boundary line at that
point.
The White and Chilkoot passes consti-
tute the storm center of the Alaskan
boundary. At those points the Canadians
hope to secure concessions that will en-
able them to anchor down a port of en-
try into the Klondike gold fields All
other parts of the country thereabouts
where concessions are looked for are of
little Importance compared wi.h the Lynn
canal, which is the key to the situation.
Senator Fairbanks, when interviewed,
must sit with the joint high commission
in August, but declined to state what
lines of argument he would take up He
expressed great satisfaction with the
trip.
AS to the boundary matter Senator Fos-
ter said: Personally, I am opposed to
yielding an inch of territory. Investiga-
ton, however, shows that there may be
different interpretations placed upon
treaties regarding channels, the charac-
ter Of lesser islands and the like. In the
main the United States is plainly given
a strip of land north of the Portland
canal or thereabouts, ten marine leagues
inland, except where a we'll defined noun
tain range places the line nearer to the
coast.
BOUNDARY LINE.
'"This strip running to Mount st. Elias
and ending at the passes of the water
shed back of Skaguay and Dyea is the
boundary line. Below this is the Lynn
canal and the Klondike. Between these
two points is a chain of mountains, in
the opinion of some bringing the boun-
Diary line some eighteen miles nearer the
coast.
This seems to be a fair expression of
the American view of the boundary ques-
ton. By this construction of the treaty
1T is held England will receive the benefit
of every point that can be fairly granted.
On the other hand, however, the Cana
dians and many of the English hold that
the boundary should be drawn thirty
miles, or ten marine leagues, inland from
the headlands. BY such a construction,
of course, Lynn canal would be an inlet
into Canadian territory and ten marine
leagues inland from the headlands at
the entrance would be many miles south
of Skaguay, hence Canada and Eng
land would have the coveted port of en-
try without a question of doubt AS
look upon 1t, personally, Lynn canal is
a part of the ocean, therefore it would
be unfair to draw a line thirty miles
inland from the entrance to bodies of
water of that nature and call it the boun-
dairy under the treaty."
Wednesday night a reception will be
given here to Senator Foster, Congress
men DalzeIl and Hayne, the National
Editorial association, the officers of the
Iowa and McCulloch. Senator Fairbanks
has been invited to be present, but says
his duties in connection with the boun-
Diary dispute compel him to leave for the
East tonight, via Portland.