The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-10-20
CANADA SHUT In.
She Gets No Outlet on Lynn
Canal
By the Terms of the MOdus
Vivendf Adopted.
BOUNDARY REMAINS
At the Summit of White and
ChilcOOt Passes.
Whole POrcupine Valley With
in American Lines.

Washington, Oct. 20.-Mr. Tower, the
British charge here, called at the state
department and handed to Secretary
Hay a note formally accepting for his
government the proposition for the
temporary adjustment of the Alaskan
boundary line proposed by Secretary
Hay in his note of yesterday. With that
act the long expected modus vivendt
relative to the vexed boundary question
went into effect. This result has. been
brought about through the direct ne
gotiation of Secretary Hay and Mr.
Tower after several failures in the past
The state department is confident that
it has conserved every American in
terest in the arrangement without un-
justly treating Canada.
The divisional line on the west pass
by which the Dalton trail is reached
is placed 22A miles above Pyramid
harbor which is regarded under the
treaty as tidewater mark,so the Canad-
ians are not allowed to reach any point
on the Lynn Canal. Moreover, there is
no permission given for a free port or
even for the free transfer across Amer
lean territory of Canadian goods except
of miners belongings. These matters
may figure later on wnen 1t comes to a
permanent boundary line but they are
not touched upon in this mOdus.
The modus vivendi follows the pre-
cedent established by Secretary Evarts
in 1873 in agreeing upon temporary
boundary on the Stikine river in Alaska
by an exchange of notes. The line on
the Chilcat inlet of Lynn canal and on,
the Klehini river, II statute miles fur
ther inland, and the Whole valley OF
Porcupine creek is included within the
American lines. On White and Chill
koot passes the line is fixed at the sum
init or watershed being the points
which have some time past been OBJ
served by the customs authorities OF
the two countries
The text of the modus vivendi as
! finally agreed to is as follows: 1t is
| hereby agreed between the govern
/ ments of the United States and of
| Great Britain that the boundary line
between Canada and the territory on
| Alaska in the region about the head OF
| Lynn canal shall be Professionally fixed
without prejudice to the claims OF
| either party in the permanent adjust
ment of the international boundary as
follows:
IN the region of the Dalton trail, a
| line beginning at the peak west of Por-
cupine creek, marked on the map No
| 10 of the U. S. commission, December
| 81, 1895, and on spot No is of the Brit
| iSh commission, December 81, 1895, with
| number $500, thence running to the
| KIehini Cor Klahola) river in the direc-
| tiOn of the peak north of that river
marked 5OzO on the aforesaid U. S. map
! and 5025 on the aforesaid British map;
! thence following the high or right bank
| of the said Klehina river to the juno
| tiOu thereof With the Chilcat river, q
! mile and a half more or less, north OF
| KIukwan; provided that persons pro-
I ceeding to or from POrcupine creek
| shall be freely permitted to follow the
/ trail between the said creek and the
| said junction of the rivers, into and
| across the territory on the Canadian
| side of the temporary line wherever the
/ trail crosses to such side and subject to
| such reasonable regulations for the
/ protection of the revenue as the Canad-
/ ian government may prescribe to carry
| with them over such parts or part of
/ the trail between the said points as
| may lie on the Canadian side of such
| temporary line, such goods and articles
| as they desire without being required
| to pay any customs duties on such
| goods and articles; and from said
| junction to the summit Of the peak
| east cf the Chilcat river marked on the
| mission with the number 5410 and on
| the map No. II Of the aforesaid British
| commission with the number 5490.
| ION the Dyea and Skagway trails,
the SUBMITS of the Chilkoot and White
| passes.
1T is understood as formerly set
! forth in communications of the depart
ment of state of the United States that
the citizens or subjects Of either power
/ found by this arrangement within the
temporary jurisdiction of the other
shall suffer no diminutiOn of the rights
and privileges which they now enjoy.
| 1.-The government of the United States
| will a. once appoint an officer or Off
| GERS in conjunction with IN officer or off7-
| GERS to be named by her britannia
! majesty to mark the temporary line
/ agreed upon by the erection of posts,
| stakes, or other appropriate temporary
| marks"