The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-05-29
THE ALASKAN BOUNDARY
Statement of the Question by a
Miner.
THIRTY MILES OF LAND
1t Embraces Untold Millions of Mineral
Wealth and the Canadians Want
It--There Is No Need of
Arbitration.

| Philadelphia, Ma CSC. II. Parent, an
| Philadelphia, furnishes the Philadelphia
| Press with the following statement upon
the Alaskan boundary question::
1.-THE people of the East should under
stand every ramifcation of this contro-
versy, that they may give the United
States commissioners the patriotic sup
| port that will allow them to withstand the
| aggression of the British. When they I'M
| derstand the circumstances and see the
| evidence that justifies the contention of
! the Americans who mined and passed to
| and fro in the disputed region for years
without paying tribute to the British au-
| thorities or Canadians, until it was dis
| covered that within the territory there
was incalculable mineral wealth, they will
4 rise as one man and bar the path of those
| who at every opportunity spring some
| false claim to steal the rights of others.
| 1t must be understood that the imbroglio
| has been caused by 80 miles of coast land,
| which would be Insignificant were it not
| that within its embraces there is wealth
| untold that the Britishers covet.
ITO gain their point the Britishers con-
| tend that the coast line of Alaska includes
a number of islands which lie close to the
| mainland, and that the 80 miles of terri
tory which the United States has hereto
fore calculated from the mainland begins
at the western end of the archipelago and
does not include an inch of the mainland.
They do this in qualification of the ac-
acknowledgement of their government in 1926
that the territory belonged to Russia
which has since coded it, as part of the
territory of Alaska, to the United States
While Russia held the country Great
Britain apparently cared nothing for it.
Beyond mere trading privilege no at
tempt was made to avail of it. They
seized it during the Crimean war, burt re-
l.nquished it at the conclusion of the war
Not until its worth in fish. timber and
gold was demonstrated by Americans did
they evince interest in it. Then the old
maps were discarded and new ones, which
showed Great Britain's ownership of the
big plot, were substituted, which led to
the international dispute. Their schemes
were clever, as they always are, but
without honesty or justice.
"To us in Alaska the acknowledgment
of their claims would mean much 1t
would result in the loss of the whole of
Southeastern Alaska, 500 miles in length.
which gives us control of the entire coast
line. This strip of land, which is a con-
tinuousA.hain of mountains, densely tim
bered is a continuation of the Cascade
range of Washington and British Column
bia. In my opinion the range will prove
to be the richest mineral field on this
continent the most accessible and best
located mining center, and their loss
would be forever a shame to our coun-
try under the circums tances. l have ex-
plofed the region in person and unhesi-
tatingly say that if J. owned IT I would
not exchange it for the vast Northwest
Territory.
why should our commissioners talk of
arbitration at all? We own the territory
in question. We bought and paid for it,
have been in peaceful possession of it for
many years. Now our Canadian neigh
bors, through the medium of their mother
country ask us to arbitrate as to who
owns it. Certainly our commissioners
will not be cajoled into giving away ter
ritory that will in the near future aston
ish the world with it's production of gold,
silver, copper, lead and lumber. A terri
tory that will afford homes and employ
ment for thousands of our citizens, where
the natural scenery is beautiful beyond
comparison, and where the climatic con-
ditions are as favorable to health as those
of the state of Pennsylvania. This is the
reason that 1 ask why should we arbi-
trate?"