The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-30

WASHINGTON, May 29.-Feeling has
made ii necessary, at this stage in the
exchanges between the United States
and Great Britain respecting the Can
Rdian boundary commission, that the ex-
act status of the commissioners should
be known, that the people, not only of
the United States, but of Great Britain,
should have an opportunity to judge for
themselves of the comparative rectitude
of the actions Of the United States and
Canada, respectfully. The following
statement has been obtained from q
prominent person:
Canada continues to be land of sur
prises. The friendly protocol of Wash
ington was signed on May 30, 1898, for the
adjustment of all differences between the
United-States and Canada, in a most
amicabe spirit The ink of that protocol
Ontario discovered chance to exhibit
her idea of international equity. Amer
lean lumbermen had been invited to take
timber bases in that province, with the
privilege of cutting logs and exporting
them TO the United States. The provin-
cial government, after taking their leases
and placing their money in the treasury,
passed law prohibiting the expectation
of logs, with the result of causing some
bankruptcies in Michigan. During the
sessions Of the commission the same
peculiar idea or International justice was
exhibited in another province, that of
British Columbia. This time it was the
mining interests that were involved. The
authorities of that province took the
money. Of the American miners who had
made the discoveries of gold; allowed
them to- spend thousands of dollars in
constructing a roadway to the scene of
their interests, and then proceeded to
change their laws to confne all such
mining privileges to British subjects and
British corporations.
BLOW AT NURSERYMEN.
Another such instance of this kind Of
practice was worked out to American
nurserymen. They had taken contracts
to supply stocks to the Canadians when
scale, the Canadian authorities pro-
hibited any further importation of nur-
sery stock. AT the same time the Cam
adian courts held the Americans liable i
for violation of the contracts which their
own laws had caused to be vacated.
The Dominion government also seems
to share these peculiar principles of in
ternational intercourse in respect to the
boundary of Alaska. They protested in
dignantly against any concessions saving
the existing rights of Americans to the
country to be arbitrated. Years before
the commission met United States citi-
gems, without any question or protest
against their right SO to do had occupied
the headwaterS of the Lynn canal and
established canals and settlements there
They had never asserted claim to the
region. The Americans had built paths
over the passes from the Lynn canal be-
yond the mountains and established
communications with the Yukon by inter,
yening lakes and streams. This, too was
done without protest or question of their
right to pass over the mountain SUBMITS.
Under these circumstances the United
States commissioners thought 1t right to
withhold such tidewater settlements from
the arbftrator's decision and 1t was
against. this proposition that the Can
adian commissioners SO Vehemently pro-
tested. Now they protest with equal
vehemence against arbitration unless the
United States shall agree to give them
to which they never, before the meeting
of the commission, asserted any rights
which they had never occupied with flag
or constable, or a Canadian subject, or
even canoe.
POSITION UNTENABLE.
How they reconcile this claim with
their position in the commission with
respect to referring the boundary Ques-
ton to arbitration remains to be ex-
planned to the British government There
seems little prospect of adjustment of the
boundary question If 1t is left to the con-
troll of the Canadians. If they are to
control the action of the Imperial gov
eminent 1t is important to that govern
ment that Canada should bring her ideas
to conformity with those which have
hitherto guided Great Britain and the
United States in the paths of amity and
friendship"
The officials of the administration have
gone so far in the Canadian negotiations
as to dismiss the published statement
that the present hitch grew out of the
failure OF the two countries to agree up-
on the nationality of an umpire for the
proposed arbitration with the simnle re-
mark that this refers to phase of the
negotiations existing many months back
when the commission was In session. and
does not cut any figure now