The record-union., 1899-07-12
United States Troops May Be Sent
to Pyramid Hir5or
Il Clnadian Government Sends Mounted
Police to Porcupine Region.
However, Both the British Foreign
Office and the Washington
Government Take Little Stock
In the Story That Canada Will
Resort to Any Such Course.

SdICAGO, july LA Specldl 10 tuS
s'Tribune" from Washington says:
An intimation has been received by
the State Department that the Cana
dian Government will send a force OF
mounted police to the Porcupine region
in British Columbia. If this is done
the United States Government will re-
spond by sending troops to Pyramid
Harbor to protect the interests of
American citizens.
The situation is extremely grave, and
will call for delicate work on the part
of both Governments to preserve the
peace.
The Porcupine region is part of the
territory now in dispute, which would
be neutral ground if a modus vivendi
were agreed upon. This is the point
where a clash came near being precip-
1tated some time ago between Ameri-
can and Canadian miners. At that
time this Government ordered troops
to Pyramid Harbor to preserve peace.
This action came to the notice of the
British Embassy here, and it was
brought to the attention of the Sails
bury government, which entered a
protest, and requested that the orders
be cancelled. This was done, and the
Canadian Government agreed to with
draw its mounted police.
Both Governments have lived up to
their agreements and since that time
neither American troops nor Canadian
mounted police have been in the Porcu-
pine region.
The hopeful view expressed by the
British Colonial Office is also enter
tanned here, and, Notwithstanding the
critical condition of the diplomatic ne
gotiations, it is still believed an AMIGA
BILE agreement can be reached. There
will be no hesitation on the part of the
officials, however, to send troops to Py-
ramid Harbor if the Canadians should
send a force of policemen near the
American line.
BRITISH DENY THE STORY.
LONDON, July 1.-THE officials of
the Colonial Office. when questioned
to-day regarding the special dispatches
from Washington, published in a New
York newspaper. saying the Canadian
Government had decided to send a
body of mounted police to the Porcupine
region, near the Lynn Canal, in Alas
ka, to maintain order, which, it was
intimated, would result in the Gov
ernment of the United States sending
troops to occupy Pyramid Harbor, alb
solutely denied that there was any pos
sibility of Canada contravening Great
Britain's pledge to keep out Canadian
police from the disputed strip if the
United States Government agreed not
to send troops to Pyramid Harbor. The
Colonial Office officials added that, if
any police had been dispatched, it
would be found that they are the
regular reliefs for the Northwest posts
and that certainly no other forces had
been dispatched to Alaska.
NOT CREDITED AT WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON, July 11.-In the alb
sence of official information concerning
the report that Canadian mounted po-
lice are to be sent into the Porcupine
country, which is now claimed by both
the United States and Canada, the
State Department attaches no credit
to the report. 1t is pointed out that
our Government will hold a garrison
from Pyramid Harbor in that section
at the simple suggestion of the British
authorities and it is not conceivable
to the authorities here that a perma-
nent force is to be maintained in the
Porcupine district. The British EN-
bassy also gives no credit to the
story.
CONGRESSMAN PAYNE ANTICI-
PATES NO TROUBLE.
SEATTLE (Wash), July 11-Con-
gressmen Payne, Steel, Hull, Dalzell and
Heatwole, who arrived here to-day
from Alaska, are very much impressed
with their trip. Congressman Payne,
who is a member of the High Joint
Commission, refused to discuss the
boundary question. or the proposed
modus vivendi. He anticipates no
trouble over settlement Of the dis
pute.
Congressman Steel said: I'VE are
too big to ever go to war over the
Alaskan boundary. The subject will in
time shape itself and become settled.
At this time the interest centers in the
proposed shifting of the boundary as
Droposed in the modus vivendi, which
would throw the Porcupine mining dis
trict. temporarily at least, under Brit
ish laws 1t is not easy TO see just how
this incidental question will be settled
to the entire satisfaction of all, but l
do believe it will be adjusted so as not
to disrupt the amicable settlement of
the entire boundary controversy, which
is now in the hands of the Joint High
Commission. 1 am interested IN that
as a Congressman, and as ali American
citizens should be. l realize that we
have great country in Alaska and l
feel Pretty sure the present Congress
is not going to fritter any of it away.
Congressman Hull is against giving
up foot of the Northern territory, and
does not hesitate to say that it would
certainly result in great commercial
loss. were a port given to the British
on Lynn Canal. 1t would affect in a
way the whole country and coast.
1--WE have nothing to concede to Great
Britain in the way of territory" said
Congressman Hull. 1T is not that we
have acquired something that does not
belong to us that was owned by the
crown. We have nothing to 70 with
that boundary. We stand simply upon
the rights of possession acquired by
the Rnssion purchase. There has been
no new demarkation of boundary.
England never questioned the boundary
from 1926 to 1867 when Seward pur,
chased the country from Russia for the