New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-31
THE CANADIAN DEMAND.

Our Lady Of the SHOWS is becoming more
exiecante than reasonable. Her sine qua non
for the settlement OF the disputes between her
self and tho United States has been described
as an extraordinary condition. The phrase is
no whit too strong The condition is, indeed so
extraordinary. so unreasonable. so unjust. that
in the face Of positive and circumstantial state
ments we find ourselves still constrained 10
doubt whether the Canadian Government makes
1t seriously. or, NJ any rate. whether II means
TO persist in the making of it. If IT does, only
one answer seems possible. That is most
regretful hut nheXible refusal.
At the risk Of self-repetition let us briefly
review the case. The Joint High Commission
was established for the settlement of all contro-
versies between the two countries. 1t was from
the outset felt however. that settlement of
all, at single stroke. was too much 10 expect
II any considerable number Of them were set
tied. and the rest left for future negotiations
the Commission would do we'll As matter of
fact, before its adjournment last spring the
Commission did come 10 an agreement upon all
except two or three matters and was ready to
frame treaty covering them. The chief of the
unsettled questions was that Of the boundary
line of the Alaska panhandle" 1t was by its
very nature we'll fitted 10 be separated from
the rest and dealt with by itself. But the Cana
dams appeared to hold that it must be settled
with the rest, or none of them could be settled.
Rather than have the work Of the Commission
thus fail, the two Governments, of Great Britain
and the United States. acting over the heads of
the Commissioners, began to negotiate for a
separate settlement of il by a special tribunal.
That plan seemed TO commend itself TO both
thOea GOvpvnmnnts GOVprnmpnf
proposed that the boundary question be sub
mtted TO arbitration. 1t Is assumed that the
United States Government would have agreed
10 this. But before IL had a chance TO do so the
Canadian Government injected into the prob
lem its extraordinary condition. That was and
is, TO the effect that, no matter what the Court
of Arbitration may decide, Canada shall have
Pyramid Harbor and the adjacent territory, on
Lynn Canal. That is to say, the whole boun-
Diary dispute shall not be submitted to arbitra-
ton, but in advance the United States shall con-
cede 10 Canada the salient point in the case
The London Daily Chronicle" is quite right in
saying that would make farce of arbitration.
1t is conceded on both sides that the boun-
dairy line should be drawn parallel with the
coast and az distance of ten marine leagues
from II. The question is whether the coast line
from which the ten leagues shall be measured
is the edge Of the mainland, as the United
States contends, or the outer edge of the fringe
Of islands, as Canada contends. The United
States makes the former contention, partly on
the natural and logical Interpretation OF the
term coast line. and partly on the ground that
such was the Interpretation practically agreed
upon. and assuredly enforced between Great
Britain and Russia when Russia was the owner
of the Alaska territory. Whatever rights Russia
had there we have Whatever Great Britain
conceded 10 Russia, she must concede TO us.
The case is so clear that IL might well be deemed
an act OF exceptional compaisance for this
country 10 submit 1t TO arbitration. But Canada
is not content with even such concession on our
part She demands that we shall PREJUDICE the
case against ourselves by giving TO her, in ad-
vance. a port and territory which we believe
any just tribunal OF arbitration would unhesi-
tatingly award to us. She asks US 10 cut the
panhandle" into two parts, by giving her a
strip running clear across It, from the Chlkat
Pass and Dalton Trail straight down to tide
water. Such demand is beyond all limits Of
reason.
The London Times" Of Monday, In a de-