The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1899-10-28
Canada Makes . New Proposition
in the Alaskan Boundary
Matter.
willing to Give Much Claimed
Territory For Pyramid
Harbor. ...
This Changed Attitude Said to Be
Due to Strong Imperial
A Pressure.

LONDON, Oct. 25.-The Associated
Press is enabled to give authoritively
Canada's final proposition for perma-
nent settlement of the Alaska dispute.
It's very different from her former
demands and was delivered to United,
States Ambassador Choate by the Cana.
dian minister Of marine and fisheries.
Sir Louis Henry Davies, late the night
before the latter sailed and dispatched
Tuesday to Washington by the officials
Of the United States embassy. 1t is as
follows:
"That the boundary line be arbitrated
upon terms similar to those imposed by
the United States and Great Britain
over Venezula, particularly those pro-
visions making so years occupancy by
either side conclusive evidence of tile.
occupany of less than than that period
to be taken as equity allowed under iu-
ternational law.
THAT as Il condition precedent 10
and absolutely preliminary to arbitr;
ton, Skaguay and Dyea would be con-
.ceded to the United States without FUR
ther claim, if Canada received Pyralu. ii;
harbor. z.-... ..
In other words Canada gives up
much of the disputed gold country in
return for seaport, but stipulate> ,nat
she must get the latter before ST..
agrees to arb,trate the boundary line
Came ~ q Great surprIse.
The propositions of Sir Louis Henri
Davies We're made privately and wer,.
apparently, the result of an unexpec .eG
communication from his government.
for Sir Louis. the day previous, ex-
pressed no inkling that he was empow-
cred to make such sweeping proposals..
The Canadian statesman, heretofore.
4 has insistently denied the United States
contention that Dyea and Skaguay
must first be ceded to the United Sta, :.
before further treating on the subject
and his sudden change of front and the
concession of two such important points
are apparently intended as coup. and
Mr.. Choate was found, to certain ex-
tent, unprepared. The only reply he
could make was that he would inform
the authorities at Washington an,.
await their advices, as his instructions
did not contemplate such change OF
base by Canada.
Caused by Imperial Pressure.
The Associated Press is reliably in
formed that Canada's new position was
greatly influenced by imperial pressure.
and it can be stated definitely that Mr..
Chamberlain advised concession as
much as possible. in order to gain u
port of entry free from United States
control, with the professed reasons that
commercial advantages would accrue
therefrom. But it is said that. the ulte-
rior motive is to increase British naval
strength by making Pyramid harbor Il
strong naval station.
Regarding the probable action of the
United States in these altered condi-
tions, British official opinion is that the
United States. having been granted
Dyea and Skaguay, cannot refuse to ac-
cept the identical form of arbitration
they compelled England to take toward
Venezuela. This course is contingent
upon the United States deciding that
the old Bering country is more valuable
than Pyramid harbor.