The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-06-11

Russia. :
.Beeond-Tnat ~Aensver the summit %
the mountains which exfenj In directions
parallel 90 The COAST from the sRh degree
Of north lAtatufs % the point Of intersecs
don Of the Il1st degree Of wet longitude
shall prove to b At the distance Of mofe
than ten marine leagues from the ocean,
the limit bsfween the British possessions
ana the 1ine Of coast which II 70 belong to
Russts. - above mentioned. shall b form
ed By line parallel To the winding OF the
coast. and which shall never exceed the
distance ~ ten marine leagues therefrom."
This decript;on ef the boundary hne b
about ~ clear and free from ambiguity
~ II could possibly be made In the En-
giish language: and Senator Charles Sum-
ner was entirely Justified In saying. IN
his great speech advorasing the purchase
Of Alaska. thaa: 7 am eiad to begin With
what h clear and beyond question. re-
fer 10 the boundary fixed By the treaty:
In the year in the Ruasian emperor. oy
his ukaSe, excluded foreigners from pur-
suing commerce. whaling. nshing and al
other Industries within 100 Italian miles
from the coast and on the adjacent lands.
down 10 the sfst parallel BY the treaty
made with the United States Ia 1914. ana
with Great Britain In 1s1S. Russia relin-
Quiahed her claim OF Jurisdiction south OF
the line Of nfsy-four forty. but secured In
ununista1kabie terms confirmation OF her
claim to the entire coast north Of that line.
and the key TO the correct reading Of the
description of the boundary in the con-
vention Of 1875 is to be found IA the words
''the limit between the British possessions
and the line Of the coast which 10 to belong
to Russia. ~ above mentioned. shall be
formed by q line parallel to tho winding
Of the coast" TO make II perfectly clear
that the coast line In Its entirety and In
it's integrity should belong to Russia. the
range Of mountains parallel to the coast
was fixed upon ~ q natural boundary. not
tho foothills and spurs nearest the coast
but the convention specified that the Tine
Of demArkAtion should follow the summit
Of the mountalna the object being to Sc
cure 70 Russia only enough land adjacent
TO the coast to constitute Q fence, which
should preclude any chance OF the British
ever gaining any pretext of right to the
possession Of any seaport. IL was consist
emily with this object provided that IL the
summit or the mountains ahould be found
to Be more than ten marine leagues dis
tant from the ocean, then and In that
case, instead Of the summit of the noun
tAins constituting the boundary, the limit
Of the coast line belonging to Russia shall
be formed by q line parellel to and not a
greater distance than ten marine leagues
from the winding Of the COAST. 1t u impor-
tant to notice that the line from which the
distance II to be measured. and which 10
to be parallel to the boundary line. Is not
the shore Of the ocean nor the general
course OF the coast line. but to make as
surance doubly sure. the Russians stipu-
lated for line parallel to the windings Of
the coast. And II Is also to be remembered
ternafional treaties are to Be understood
as having been carefully selected to ex-
press the exact meaning Of the parties to
such agreements Tho words OCEAN and
coast are not synonymous. and A. used in
the convention between Russia and Great
Britain they refer to different objects.
Senator Sumner and the world had q right
to suppose that ~ meet ingenious Quib-
saar ecula hsvsr be Abls % lnrovoke dis
Is esefect fssiins 81 Tia treaty. Blu,
without pfet&kt 81 right on their side.
the Canadians have succeeded In involving
our government IN q diplomatic contro-
versy with Great Britain over this bound
AIRY line. At nrst the claim Was set NO
that the coast line should be drawn out
side-that Is. to the seaward-of the chain
Of islands along the coast. and that In
place OF the line up the Portland channel.
specifically named in the treaty, the bound
AIRY should 60 up Benin canal BY max
Ing these few changes the Canadians
would have crowded Uncle Sam entirely or
the mainland south and east OF Cape Spen-
Ger. That idea. believe, has been aban-
doned, and the latest Canadian pretension
which have heard announced il that the
arm Of the sea called Lynn canal In fact
penetrates into British territory: that In.
within the line which follows the summit
Of the mountains, 30 that, taking the crest
OF the mountains as being the boundary
line. Lynn canal Ia territorial water within
the confines OF Canadian possessions. Nam
ifestly this claim Is logically unsound. and
~ L. v,t~ ltxs Ia tr tatv 10
say physically impossible, Because the
summit Of the mountains II 30 high above
tide level that the canal cannot dow across
boundary which follows the summit: and
II the canal divides the mountain range
and penetrates the interior through the
mountains. then II must necessarily break
the continuity OF the boundary line. No,
X the adjacent mountains are not more
than ten marine leagues from the ocean
the boundary must follow the summit
around the head OF the canal. instead OF
stretching across from the crest on one
side OF Lynn canal to the crest on the op-
posite side. because the treaty says. FOL
low the summit otherwise the boundary
| must be laid parallel TO the coast line and
at a distance not greater than ten marine
leagues from II, which will place II near
Lake Bennett. where the Russians held
the line TO be before they sold the coun-
try 10 us.
How can we bring this controversy
| 60 an end without a sacrifice? II IL 60
| aid In solving this problem that have
| recised the history OF the controversy
| with reference TO Oregon and the San
! Juan island imbrogiio. But the recital
| Is not complete. II remains to be told
| how Lord Aberdeen was brought TO make
| n proposal 10 our government In which
| he abandoned the British contention for
| the Columbia river boundary. In the
| presidential campaign Of isA the Demo-
| cratic party declared itself in favor Of
| holding all OF Oregon TO the line ffty-
| four-for;y or fight. and on faith OF that
| pledge the Northern states gave enough
| votes To James X. Polk TO defeat Henry
| Clay. The congress elected az the same
| time. IN fuihllr,ent % the pledge. passed
| resolution directing the president to
| give the notice required TO terminate the
| arrangement Yor Joint occupancy. The
| president accordingly gave the notice and
| withdrew our offer 10 compromise on the
| lire OF the forty-ninth parallel On the
| I'D day 81 May. isss. Lord Aberdeen ac-
| knowledsed receipt OF the notice In Lon
| don. and on the 18th Of June the treaty
1