Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-19
TO BE SIGNED TOMORROW
Great Britain Accepts Changes in Modus
Vivendi.
Territory Claimed by Canada Given
to the United States-where
Trouble Threatened

LONDON, October 19.-The British for
eisn office asserts that the verbal changes
in the terms of the Alaskan rnodus viyendi
are Of no particular Importance and have
been readily agreed to. and that it is as
sumed the United States Secretary of State
Mr.. John Hay. and the British charge
d affaires in Washington, Mr.. Tower, will
sign tomorrow.
No Advices at the State Department.
Up to late hour this afternoon nothing
had been heard from London respecting the
Alaskan modus vivendi. That was not a
matter or surprise, for the British foreign
office is notably extremely deliberate and
cautious when it comes to the concluding
stages of an important negotiation.
When the details of the arrangement are
made public, which will follow Immediately
upon its conclusion, it will be found that
nearly all of the attempts made up to this
point to accurately describe the new boun-
dary line We're inadequate in important re-
spects. The maximum claim of the United
States is not maintained. That was not to
be expected in this arrangement, which was
intended particularly to relieve the situa-
tion So far the Dalton trail route was
concerned. No attempt was made to eStab-
lish claim to that territory lying between
the head of Chilkoot pass and White pass
and the lakes to the north.
1t does not follow that the United States
has rellnqulShed the extreme claim at
that point, but simply that by mutual
agreement reached about two years ago
the heads of these two passes were recog-
nized as marking points Of a temporary
divisional line, without sacrificing the per
manent rights of either party. This ar
rangement has been found TO work abso-
lutey without friction, and the present
is believed to be an inopportune time TO
disturb it.
Where Trouble Threatened.
The point where trouble threatened was
on the Dalton trail, which, by the way,
is not directly on the Skaguay route, al
though side trail does connect the points
but is rather the natural pathway from
Pyramid harbor into the KIondike.
The United States government could
scarcely contend at this point that the
boundary line was to be defined by the pre-
scribed zone of thirty miles from the sea,
for in this section of the country there was
an undeniable mountain range, in which
case the treaty provided that this range
new arrangement draws d line from Chill
koot pass in direction a little south of
west to a mountain peak about ten miles
west of the Dalton trail. This line cuts
across the Chilkat river some distance
above the town of Klukwan, thus complete
ly cutting off the British possessions from
navigable water.
1t also throws into American territory a
triangular section of the Porcupine coun-
try, of considerable extent, which was
claimed by Canada, and which is now being
prospected by a number of American
miners. who were driven out of the AtlIn
country by adverse British Columbian leg
islation. Crossing this in the western sec
ton is the lower end of the Dalton trail,
of which the United States obtains posses
sion, as well as of its terminus, Pyramid
harbor.