The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1899-11-09
Ex-Secretary of State and Mem
Der of the Joint High Cana.
dian Commission
Tells Why Canada's Claims in
Alaska Boundary Matter Are
Untenable.
Russian Ownership of the Strip
Now Claimed Repeatedly
Acknowledged.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 6.-Ex-Secretary
Of State John w. Foster, member of
the joint high commission to settle diff.
ferences between the United States and
Canada, has prepared summary of
this governments case on the Alaskan
boundary. It was read before the
American Geographical society.
Mr.. Foster reviewed the history of
the negotiations between Russia and
Great Britain and showed Great Brit
ain only sought to prevent the extern
sion of the Russian claims eastward to
the Rocky mountains. The British gov.
eminent was then prepared to accept a
boundary line hundred miles from the
coast of the mainland. Great Britain
afterwards succeeded in reducing this
strip to width of ten marine leagues.
Russia permitted ten year license to
fish and hunt in the estuaries but
Declined to Make 1t Permanent.
That the license was terminated at
the end of the period Mr.. Foster says
is itself inconsistent with any interpre-
tation of the treaty other than the COM
plete sovereignty of Russia over, not
only the strip of mainland, but all the
bays and inlets.
Mr.. Foster showed that in 1889, the
Hudson Bay company leased from the
Russian government the very strip in
question, as shown by the Russian
maps, and in 1857, parliamentary
committee examining the head of the
cape brought out the fact that Russian
sovereignty extended 80 nautical miles
inland following the indentations of the
coast.
In 1878, he continued, provisional
boundary was established by the United
States at the crossing of the Stickeen
river, which follows the present Amer
lean contention, and in 1875, criminal
being tried and convicted, was released
by Canadian courts because his ofense
was committed Sin American terri.
tory"
With this as basis, Mr.. Foster made
the following presentation of the Amer
lean position regarding the boundary:
''There is no claim or pretense that
the British authorities or subjects ever
occupied any of the territory now in
dispute, except under the lease cited, or
ever exercised or attempted to exercise
any acts of sovereignty over the strip
or waters enclosed by it.
First-Soon after the treaty of 1926, the
Russian government published map
claiming the strip of territory and all the
interior waters of the sea Enclosed by it,
Second-The Russian-American COM
pany established forts and trading posts
within the strip.
Thirdly virtue of the lease cited
which was recognized assertion of its
sovereignty, Russia temporarily trans
ferred these forts and posts to the British
company.
Fourth-At the termination of the ex-
tended lease it re entered and took POS
session and remained in possession till
the cession of Alaska to the United
States.
Fifth-It received the allegiance Of the
native Indians inhabiting the strip and
exercised supervision over them.
Sixth-Immediately after the oession in
1867, the department of state of the United
States likewise caused map to be pub
lished setting forth the bounds of all
states, in accordance with the treaty of
1926 and the same claim as to the strip
was thereon made as by Russia as on it's
map of 1927
Seventh-On the transfer of Alaska,
portion of the United States army was
dispatched to occupy the territory and
detachment was stationed for some time
on this strip of the mainland.
Eighth-Since the cession, postoffices
and post routes have been established and
maintained at various points on the strip.
Ninth-Custom houses have likewise
been established and duties collected
therein.
Reinforcement and mission schools
have been maintained and notably so for
nearly 20 years at the head Of Lynn canal.
| Eleyenth-The revenue vessels of the
United States have continuously since the
date of cession patrolled the interior wat
ers surrounded by the strip, to enforce
the revenue and other laws OF the United
States
Twelfth-The naval and revenue ves-
sells of the United States have for the
same period exercised acts Of sovereignty
over the Indian tribes inhabiting the strip
and especially about the head of Lynn
canal, and the latter have yielded unques-
toned allegiance to the United States.
Thirteenth-In the census Of 1880 and
1890 all the Indian tribes inhabiting the
strip were included in the population of
| the UQlU6U OUttGcS duu eO pUUllSuoU Gu6
official report
Fourteenth-The territorial govern
ment of Alaska has exercised various and
repeated acts of sovereignty over the strip
and interior waters inclosed by 1t, and the
writs of the United States courts have
run throughout the whole extent.
Fifteenth-Under the territorial claim
of the United States and the protection
of the government, citizens of the United
States have entered and occupied the
strip, built cities and towns and estab-
lished industrial enterprises thereon.
All the foregoing acts have taken
place without a single protest or COM
plant on the part of the British or
Canadian governments, except that
some friction has occurred between
the customs outposts as to the exact
demarkation of the eastern line of the
strip.
Heavy Gales on the British Coast.
LONDON, Nov. GA heavy gale that
swept the southwestern part of the
British coast all day did widespread