The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-08-11
The Canadian Boundary Dispute.


Replying to an inquiry we offer the
following as our understanding of the
boundary dispute between the United
States and Canada affecting the Alaska
coast:
In 1926 Russia, the then owner Of
Alaska. and England signed a treaty
which, in Article III, gives the line Of
demarkation between Russian and
Canadian territory in these words:
Commencing from the southernmcst
point of the island called Prince Of
Wales island the said line shall ascend
to the north along the channel called
Portland channel as far as the point
of the continent where it strikes the
56th degree of north latitude; from this
aforementioned point the line of de-
markation shall follow the summit Of
the mountains situated parallel to the
coast, as far as the point of intersec-
tion of the 14lst degree of west longi-
tude (of the same meridian); and,
finally, from the said point of intersec-
ton, the said meridian line of the 141st
degree. in it's prolongation as far rs
the Frozen Ocean, shall form the limit
between the Russian and British pos
sessions on the continent of America
to the Northwest" Article " OF the
same treaty stipulates % that Prince
of Wales island shall belong wholly to
Russia, and (2) that wherever the
summit of the mountains which extend
in a direction parallel to the coast
from the 56th degree of north latitude
to the point of intersection of the 141st
degree of west longitude, shall prove
to be at the distance of more than ten
marine leagues from the ocean, the
limit between the British possessions
and the line of coast, which is to be-
long to Russia, as above mentioned,
shall be formed by line parallel to
the windings of the coast, and which
shall never exceed the distance of ten
marine leagues therefrom." Article V
provides that British subjects shall
not form any establishment either upon
the coast or upon the border of the
continent comprised within the limits
of the Russian possessions" The re-
naming articles relate to specific privi-
leges or concessions based on the
understanding that all territory within
a line parallelng the windings of the
coast but ten marine leagues from that
coast is Russian territory absolutely.
The American position is that under
this treaty which by our purchase of
Alaska, became binding as between
the United States and Canada, the
whole strip of land lying inland within
a ten-mile limit from the windings of
the coast is United States territory.
Acting on this belief American set
tlement have been established at var
ious points along this fringe of terri
tory, the validity OF which under
American sovereignty was not ques-
toned by Canada until the discovery
of gold in the British Klondike region,
when Canadians suddenly saw the de-
STABILITY of securing an open port on
the coast, connecting by river or canal
with the Canadian gold-bearing terri
tory in the interior.
How did Canada go about securing
this port? Did she ask Uncle Sam in
spirit of friendliness to give or lease
one to her? Not a bit of it. She
suddenly trumped up the preposterous
claim that under the treaty provisions
quoted above the term coast, and the
windings thereof meant a line drawn
from promOntory to promontory-that
is, that the farthest outlying points
on the coast determined by a connect
ing straight line the line of the coast,
and that ten marine leagues toward
shore from this outlying line formed
the line of Canadian jurisdiction. BY
this claim Canada hoped to secure a
large part of the actual shore line, re-
stricting American territory to a few
isolated headlands or capes, obviously
Valueless in detached position. Then,
having raised this preposterous claim,
manifestly without a syllable to stand
on in the specifications of the treaty.
she demanded that we submit the
matter to European arbitration, evil
IDENTIFY counting on European prejudice
against the United States to influence
a decision in her favor. The United
States agreed to arbitrate before a neu-
tral American power as, for example,
Mexico, Brazil Argentine or any of
the South American republics, but de-
clined absolutely to submit a lust and
on It's merits, an impregnable title TO
the jurisdiction of a tribunal likely to
be biased from the beginning against
1t and thus inherently unable to ad-
minister impartially.
or the negotiations now in progress
between Ambassador Choate and the
British foreign office we cannot speak
since their terms have not been made
public The general understanding is
that they lool; to some temporary ar
rangement whereby we should leave
a port to Canada in return for some
equivalent privilege elsewhere. An
arrangement of this kind would offer
a sensible solution; but inasmucb az
II would dispose Of Canada's absurd
Interpretation of the. northwestern
coast line the Canadian authorities
stubhornly resist, and the Canadian
premier solemnly tells his countrymen
that there must be "arbitration or
war" There will, we may feel sure,
he no war; and If there is ARBITRATION
II Is reasonable to dcrllEa that il
shall be fair arbitration and not n
thimble-rigSing sct-up for the pur-
pose Of doing" Uncle Samuel by ho-
Gus pocus OF plata Iight which no
nation would Care TO seize by force.