Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-04
THE DISPUTED LINE
Mr.. John w. Fosters Lecture OF
Alaskan Boundary
BEFORE THE GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
Positions of Great Britain and the
United States.
y DIPLOMATIC REVIE W

The fail and winter lecture season Of
TIL National Geographic Society was iuau-
guraled last night at Fir-; Congregational
Church when Mr.. John ". Foster. former
Secretary of State. and al present a men,
her OF the Anglo American joint high COM
mission. read . scholarly paper on the sub
jet Of The Alaskan Boundary" concern
ing which so much discussion has recently
been INDUCED in ny the entire world. The
church auditorium was crowded and ear
nest attention was given the speaker.whOse
paper. with numerous maps. appears in full
in the current number Of the Geographical
Magazine. issued yesterday.
In introducing Fis subject, Mr.. Foster
stated that the Alaskan boundary is fixed
by the treaty of 1875 between Russia and
Great Britain. growing out of the issuance
by the Emperor Of Russia of imperial
ukase in 1921, the purport of which briefly
stated was claim 10y Russia to exclusive
jurisdiction On the high sea. extending 100
miles from the coast OF Asia above latitude
1850 north and from the northwest coast
of America above latitude II degrees north
and a prohibition to all foreign vessels 20
land or trade with the natives on any part
OF the coast indicated. This ukase. he de-
Ci4red, brought forth prompt and VigOr-
Gus protest from both the United States
and Great Britain, which was soon followed
by negotiations between Russia and the
two latter governments. IL was early made
known that Russia was prepared to with
draw its claim 10 exclusive jurisdiction in
the Pacific ocean ard would not insist upon
its territorial! claim to the coast OF America
below latitude - degrees.
A. the United States was advancing no
serious claim 70 the territory north of that
lire. it found little difficulty in reaching
an accord. and a treaty between Russia
and the United States was signed April II.
II ilftY ~ lfsTt m 4TlF
was reached with Great Britain. The chief
object had in view by Great Britain in its
protest and subsequent negotiations was TO
secure the withir wal by Russia of her
claim to exclusive jurisdiction in the Pa
ciGc ocean. With this object in view the
negotiations were initiated at s.. Peters
burg
The Early Negotiations.
From the first moment the boundary
was preached" continued Mr.. Foster Rus
sia hid indicated that 1t would rest its
claim to territory on the lire of latitude
-. being the. limit fixed by the Emperor
Paul in the charter Of 1893 to the Russian
American Company, and which had never
been objected TO by Great Britain
Three propositions made by the English
were rejected by the Russian negotiators.
who. in a paper of some length. set forth
the situation of the parties in interest.
This paper showed that the parties whose
interests were involved We're. on the Brit
.
which was pushing its posts across the
Rocky mountains toward the coast. and
the Russian American Company. which was
in possession Of the islands on the Pacific
coast and maintaining profitable trade
with the natives on the mainland and that
Unless the latter was protected by a strip
Of the coast on the mainland that COM
pauy would be without a support, and
would be exposed 10 the competition of
establishments on the mainland which IL
was their purpose to exclude. The motive
of he Russian negotiators in insisting upon
strip Of the coast is also shown in the
It port Of NJ. Puletica. one of the Russian
IlenipOteutiarieS, in which he said the Rus
sian American Company had mainly in
view the establishment of a barrier at
y hich would be stopped once for all, 10
the north and To the west of the coast al
lottcd to the American company, the en-
croachments Of the English agents of the
HudSon's Bay Company.
On the other hand, the main purpose Of
the British plenipotentiary in the particu-
lar negotiation above referred to was to
secure for the British traders a foothold
on the Pacific ocean as far above the lati-
tpde OF % 40 as possible. The negotiators
were brought face To face with their con-
fictins claims, the one side insisting that
u must have strip of territory on the
tsalhiand IN order to keep the Hudsons
their islands. and the other insisting that
the Hudson's Bay Company must have nos
session of such part of that territory and
the inlets as would afford 1t access to the
ocean The result was that negotiations
were finally broken off
Russin's Position.
Russia declared it could grant no further
concession. and was authorized to expect
some concessions the part of England
In the month following the Russian ambas-
xsdor In London was Informed thar Si,
Charles Bagot, the English plenipotentiar,