The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-25
THE BOUNDARY DISPUTE.
CANADA rs SHOWING A MORE CON-
CILIdTORY SPIRIT.

This Government Might lie willing to Ar
bitrate II tho Limits of the Territory
which the Arbitrators May Take Into
Consideration Arc Exactly Defined.
WAsHINGToN. July 24.-Dcspite the threat
ening speech OF Sir Charles Upper in the
Dominion Parliament on Saturday. n very
hopeful feeling In regard to the Alaska bound
ary negotiations prevailed in official and dip
lomatic circles to-day. Tho effect Of Sir
Charless speech on this Government has not
been marked. owing largely to the conciliatory
utterances and qualifying statements Of Sir
Wifrd Laurer. the Canadian Premier.
1t was said to-day by an official who Is
familiar with every stage OF the ncgO-
tiations. that he was hopeful that tenn
porary understanding concerning the bound
airy dispute would be reached shortly. He did
not base this hope. he said. on anything
definite In the correspondence which is being
carried on actively between London Ottawa
and Washington. 1t is true. nevertheless that
Canada is showing more reasonable spirit
and has signined a Willingness to make con-
ccssions There was some talk to-day about
compromising the dispute by an offer OF the
United States to grant Great Britain harbor
privileges on the Lynn Canal but it Is not
likely that this Government will make any
radical concess ions in that regard.
The statcments Of SIR wIlfrid fnnEier and Sir
NndIlts lupptT lnhl tHe tnll'u
afraid to submit the dispute to arh itration. be-
cause this Government has weak case. II Is
contended by the Wash ington author ties that
this very claim OF Canada shows that her case
~ weak. for the United States holds most of
the territory in dispute. and In the decis on OF
an arbitrator Canada would have nothing to
lose " the decision were against her conten-
lions. and everything to gain IL it were in her
favor
The charge that this Government has shown
an unfair spirit In declining To have the entire
list OF Canadian contentious arbit rated is re-
scented In Washington official circles. Tho
authorities maintain that unless tn" scope of
the arbitration were carefully defined. as
maintained by the United States. the terri
torial rights OF this country in Alaska would be
endangered. 1t was pointed ont to-day that 1t
ritoral disputes that in cases whore the SER
vices Of an umpire were demanded by the
failure OF the arbitrator to agree. the umpire
has always shown Il disposition to COM
promise. In the present Instance tho failure
Of the British and American urbitrators to
reach an agreement would rot he unlikely.
and In that event the umpire selected by both
decision. The natural disposition Of an UNI
nire, when unable To- harmonic or TO separate
the contentious Ot both parties to the dispute.
Is according to the view expressed here. TO en-
deavor to adjust the difficulty on what he con-
ceives to b" rs fair n basis as possible. by sim
ply dividing NJ the territory in controversy
between the contending nations. This Gov
having an arbitration OF the boundary question
disposed OF IN any such manner and FOR that
reason II Is not probable that the nited States
will consent to nrbitrate unless the limits OF
the territory which the arhitrators may take
into consideration are exactly defined.