The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1899-07-20

1t is unfortunate that the commission
failed to agree. AS to which party Is
to blame for this non-agreement, there
seems to be general agreement.
Scarcely had the commission been ap-
pointed before Ontario passed decree
practically prohibiting the export of
logs. Not to be behind in international
amity, British Columbia passed law
combining all mining privileges in that
province to British subjects: The men,
bers had worked together In greatest
harmony for the accomplishment of
the great purpose Of the commission,
but since it was seen that provinces
such as Ontario and British Columbia
had it in their power to enact laws
which might make Of no effect gen.
eral settlement as proposed the difficult
ties have greatly increased.
A year ago a provisional boundary
was agreed upon with the exception Of
a few miles of the Dalton trail at the
end Of ChilkOOt pass from Pyramid
harbor. At the same time the growing
Importance of the Alaska territory In
dispute as furnishing the gateway to
the Ell Dorado of the North impresses
the necessity for the prompt settlement
of the boundary dispute. To under
stand the difficulties of the case his
torical and geographical review Ia nee
essary.
History of Question in Dispute.
BY the Webster-Ashburton treaty of
1912 between the United States and
Great Britain the northern and east
ern boundaries were accurately defined
from the Rocky Mountains to Mars
Hill, at the eastern end Of Maine. In
regard to the northern and western
boundary, after considerable discussion
and diplomatic fencing, the question
was left unsettled. Out Of this boun-
Diary question grew the excitement
which led to the adoption of the cam
paign cry, "Fifty-four forty or fight"
How this old boundary question has
been at least partially revived involves
an interesting play Of treaty against
treaty and rights against rights. To
understand it, 1t is necessary to go back
to the ukase Of the Emperor Alexander
l. in 1922, by which he declared all the
territory Of the Pacific coast north of
the fifty-first parallel of north latitude
Russian territory, and by the same
ukase made that part of the Pacific
Ocean lying north Of the fifty-flrst par
allel of latitude in America to 40 de-
grees narth latitude on the Asiatic
coast closed sea. The effect Of this
ukase was to exclude United States
whalers from the Northern Pacific, an
exclusion which the Government of
the United States vigorously protested,
and as result. In 1924, by treaty be-
tween the two governments. the North
ern Pacific was made an open sea-
Evaded War with England.
BY the Oregon settlement Of 1876
Great Britain got to the Pacific, that
solution at the time being regarded as
preferable to fighting or to q probable
contest all along the Pacific coast with
England for supremacy. The United
States sacrificed the great Northwest
In order to acquire New Mexico and
California. Everything considered,
that probably was the best solution. 1t
gave the United States compact ter
ritory, and, admitting that Canada and
the United States are always to remain
separate countries, It Is but reasonable
the former should have lts outlet on
the Pacific In British Columbia. By
acquiring Alaska, however. IN 1851. the
British outlet In the Pacific now inter-
venes between parts Of the United
States. Curiously but naturally enough,
Great Britain, or rather Canada, ID now
seeking another outlet to the coast, and
this time through what since the ees-
sion of Alaska to the United States
6i-sy-two years ago, has always been