Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-02-15
Canada to Have Some Extra
Rights in SkagWay.
THE BOUNDARY DISPUTE
Is Settled and is a Great Victory Fer
the Americans--A Closer
Bond of Friendship.

Chicago, Feb. IA special to the
Times Herald from Washington says:
Great Britain and the United States are
to have closer bond of friendship. The
joint high commission, which came peril
ously near breaking up in a rupture on
Monday, will probably conclude treaty
after all. The United States commission
ers, instead of presenting an ultmatum,
as the Canadians expected, submitted a
memorandum conciliatory in tone, offer
ing certain rights at Skagway and sug
gesting further negotiations. The possi
bility of effecting an agreement was SO
advanced by a cablegram received by
Baron Herschel from Joseph Chamber
lain, England's minister for the colonies,
directing the Canadian commission to eX
hause every effort to reach an amicable
agreement, keeping in mind the import
ance of promoting the present cordial re-
lations between the United States and
Great Britain.
After brief session the joint high COM
mission adjourned until noon today, and
the Canadian commissioners retired to
consider the document of the United
States. AS a result the Canadians, who
We're yesterday packing their trunks pre-
paratory to going home, said that they
might stay in Washington another week,
and that only Baron Herschel could tell
when the Canadians would go. Mr.. Kas-
son of the United States commission and
Mr.. Hay, secretary of state, both say
that the meeting this afternoon will be
of the greatest Importance. 1t is be-
lieVed that final agreement will be
! reached and that the only work left
under discussion will be the draft Of the
treaty. Although the points at issue will
not be settled, the agreement will be bene-
icial and satisfactory to the United
/ States and the dominion.
/ 1t can be stated on good authority that
the United States has agreed to concede
some rights to Canada at Skagway The
orioinal demand for a strip of land along
one side of the Chilkat river from its
mouth to Canadian territory, a distance
| of 80 miles, is disposed of as unreason-
able. The next demand for cession of
! Skagway, or, a substantial part of its
water front, for Canadian docks and
| custom houses, is also rejected without
| considera ton.
The United States, however, agrees to
! give Great Britain certain privileges at
SkagWay not involving the surrender of
sovereignty of one foot of United States
! soil. These the Canadians as a last re-
4
friendship, have agreed to accept. IT is
difficult to learn, owing to the diploma tic
| character Of the negotiations, just what
/ these rights are, but it is believed that
| they include the rights which Canada de-
! sires at Skagway, and the United States
| agrees to extend to British ships the right
! to carry from other than the United
! States ports goods destined to the Cana
| dian klondike, for entry through the port
of Skagway, and that such goods and
such ships are to dock ana discharge
| their cargoes without interference from
] United States customs authority a Skag-
way, and the goods are to be exempt
! from the payment of duty to the United
! States.
In other words, Great Britain Is to enjoy
! a Skagway 30 miles from her frontier
! the privileges she now enjoys only at her
own boundary. Under the bonding priv
! ilege accorded nations by intcrna tional
! law Great Britain can now pass goods
through the port of SkagWay TO the
Klondke in bond without payment of
! duty to the United States. Her commits
| sioners complain, however that the petty
| annoyances of United States officers at
Skagway are unbearable, and it IS to
avoid them that these special rights are
desired.
| The Pacific coast navigation interests,
which, led by Senator Perkins of Califor-
MIA, have all along fought the Skagway
/ concessions, are pidCdltu Dy the DfON1-
sion that the British ships can take ship
ments to Skagway under this scheme
from foreign ports only. They cannot
enter the trade from San Francisco, Ia
coma Portland, Seattle, Port Townsend
or other United States ports unless they
carry goods under the old arrangement
T and are practically limited in this privi-
lege to goods emba rked at Vancouver or
Victoria The Canadians claim this will
not seriously interfere with Pacific coast
naviga tion interests.
AS a result of the negotiations, the
United States has secured a great victory
on the Alaskan boundary dispute. So
complete is it that the Canadians will
scarcely admit now that there was ever
a boundary dispute. The United States
won by this frmnesS 1T the outset, which
was absolutely appalling to the Cana
daps. In the brief of the United States,
written a Quebec and put in type there,
the United States commissioners declared
that the boundary question was one for
surveyors and not for diplomats" They
declare that under the treaty Of 1918 the
United States and British territory was
sdiyided by a line from the summit Of
skount st. Elias to the head of Portland
canal, following the sinuostes Of the
| coast line at a distance of 80 miles, and
! that to determine this boundary it was
necessary to survey such a line. This
uosttion has been maintained by the
| United States and conceded in toto by the
/ British commissioners.