The record-union., 1899-08-06

mercy of English establishments. He
contended that England did not then
possess a single establishment at the
hight of Portland Canal" and that Rus
STA insisted upon the reservation Of a
medium space of terra firma" in order
not to lose the surrounding islands.
England tried to force him from that
position, but Intellectually. She sug-
gested several different boundary lines,
but Russia would not yield an inch, her
reply constantly throughout the CORE
spondence being that the possession OF
Prince of Wales Island without a por-
ton of the coast opposite would be of
no utility to Russia, and that any es-
Establishments formed on the islands
would be menaced by English establish
ments on the terra firma' and be COM
pletely at their mercy.
Throughout all these first negotiations
Portland Canal is defined as "at the
hight" of Prince of Wales Island and
Originating in the continent between 90
and So lat Our contention is that this
puts the mouth of Portland Canal d.
rectly opposite the southernmost point
of the island, and that Russian demand
for the coast opposite clearly proves
that the canal now known as Portland
Canal was the canal meant and not a
passage further northward.
When the second period of negotia-
ton came on, the claim of Russia was
restated, to give her "lisiere of terra
firma on the continent" and not
chain of islands or detached pieces of
mainland. The line of demarcation was
not to be on the continent ten marine
leagues from the outer line of the ISL
ands, but ten leagues from the shore
1t was also understood that the line
should run along the mountains which
follow the sinuosities of the coast, and
not, as Premier Laurier now claims.
to cut across and over bays and In
lets, for the sinuosities of the coast
naturally means the intentions of salt
water, not mountain streams and
creeks.
Mr. Lewis replies to the British claim
that the expression from the sea"
means the outer line of the islands.
by referring to the Russian insistence
that the ''lisiere' is spoken of as terra
firma,'' and as ION the continent" OF
North America, and 'for the protection
of the islands along the coast" Be-
sides, it is fact that in many places
it is twenty marine leagues from the
outer line of the islands to the shore
Of the continent: that If the line were
measured from the outer edge of the
islands it would come upon the inner
edge of Prince of Wales Island and of
other islands, and in many cases in the
middle of the strait separating the
mainland from the Standardization
the Canadian contention is an impos
sible thing. &
Before the treaty was concluded Rus
STA in the course of the negotiations in
1924, submitted a counter treaty propo-
sition in which the boundary provided
for an arbitrary width Of ten marine
leagues for the "lisiere." regardless of
mountains, saying that the lisiere of
the coast belonging to Russia shall
not have in width on the continent
more than ten marine leagues from the
border of the sea- This shows says
the essayist, conclusively that the
lisiere was to be ten marine leagues in
width on the continent. This latter
proposition and refusal concluded the
second period of the negotiations with
Russia, still firm in her original posi-
ton, and Great Britain. so far as ter
ritorial questions We're concerned, prac-
tically willing to concede Russias
claims.
Still later in that year England pro-
posed to abandon her claim for ths
boundary line; to oppose Russia's claim
for the ten league width of the ''lisiere"
regardless sof the mountains, but offer
ed to agree to the summit line as sug,
gested by Russia. Finally, in 1925, the
treaty was concluded. Russia's original
claim being mistaken and practically
agreed to.
What the Canadians now contend for
was, therefore, all threshed over in the
first instance between the negotiators
and during two years of wearisome
diplomatic fencing. Portland Channel
means now what it meant then, and by
the use Of the word acknowledgement
acknowledgements meant to hold the
harbors, bays and inlets on the coast
while to the British was conceded the
interior, and the "lisiere" Of the coast
was meant to be upon the continent,
and not upon a chain of islands or
strips of detached shore.
A San Francisco contemporary is fill
ing columns with the answers Of re-
turned soldiers. The first question re-
lates to the population Of the Philip
pines and the chances there for white
workers. In every instance the an
swer is that the country is sufficiently
| populated, and that for white labor
there is no room. But this is not news.
OF course, the Filipinos are best fitted
for labor there, and of course there
are plenty of them. Who has ever dis
puted these facts?
WHAT POWERS ARE TO DOMI-
NATE.
Speaking of the ultimate limits of ex-