The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-31
Neither British Nor Americans Sat
isfied With Lines of Modus
Nivendi of 1899.
ARE NOT PERMANENT, HOWEVER
Rich porrupinc Greek District May
lie Reclaimed by United States
When Il Treaty Is Fl
nally Signed.
REPUBLIC SPECIAL.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL.
Washington. July N.-On the arrival in
this city of Otto H. Titmann of the Coast
and Geodetic Survey. a detailed report of
the work done on the Alaskan boundary
will be made and given to the public.
At the present time nothing is officially
known Of the work of the survey, and Of
hcisils decline to express any opinion on the
press reports that have come from Alaska.
Great Britain and the United States,
through their representatives. Mr. Tower.
Charge G'Anaires OF the British Embassy,
and John Hay, Secretary OF state. signed
October - 1893. modus vivendi on the
Alaskan boundary question. which reads:
In the region of the Dalton trail a line begin
ming at the peak west Of PoTcupinc Crcck.
marked On tie map 10. 10, OF the United States
Commission December 81 1885 and on Sheet
n" Is Of the British Commission. December 81
1898. with the number $500: thence running to
the kiehisi tur hlahe-nab River. IN the direction
OF peak north Of the river, marked SOD on the
aforesaid United States mar ami 5.y1j on the
aforesaid British map. thence following the high
On right bank Of the kleEiui River to the juno
tJn thereof with the Chlklt River, mile and
halI. more or less. north # Kluckwan: pro-
Flded. that persons proceeding Ut from Porcu-
nlHe Creek shall b freely permitted 10 follow
the TRAN between the said creek and the said
junction Of the rivers into and across the terri
tory ca the Canadian side. and. subject to such
reasonable regulations for the protection OF the
revenue Us The Canadian Government may pre-
scribe 10 carry with them over such part or
parts OF the tail between the said points as may
lie On the Canadian side Of the temporary line
such goods and articles they desire. without
Icing required to pay any customs duties on
sLch goods anu articles; and from said junction
To the summit Of the peak east of the Chilkat
River. marked on the aforesaid map No. 10 OF
The Cnitcd States Commission. No. $40. and on
the map No. l. Of the aforesaid British Commits
son map. No. 5,iso. on the Dyea and Skagwsy
tails the SUBMITS Il the Chikoot and White
passes. II is understood, formerly set forth
IN communications Of the department OF state
Of the United States, that the citizens or sub
Jeets Of either Power found by this arrangement
WITHIN the temporary jurisdiction Of the other
snail suffer no uimnution OF the rights and priv
hvses which they how enjoy.
Gave Up IL Rich District.
AT the time II signing the modus vivendi
the American authorizes believed the rich
Porcupine Creek district would. under its
provisions. fail on the American side of
the line. although a few days later Il was
asserted by miners interested that the tenn
pordTy line would slYe TO Canada a strip
Of land fifteen miles wide and containing
valuable placer claims. This territory, they
said, had always been conceded TO the
United States.
Miners declared that the chief trouble
with the line lay in the fact that the In
dian village Of hluckwan, located near the
confluence of the klahini and ChiIkat riy-
Deem selected aS one guiding point, when
Camp Pleasant should have been that point.
American authorities, however had made
provisions that the Porcupine miners should
nave the right to pass a.onS the natural
TRAN of their digginss. whether or not II
crossed the international boundary. and
should be permitted TO take in goods and
provisions without paying customs duties.
British Complain Also.
Coincident with this complaint from the
American miners i'll Alaska came pro-
test from the English press, which con-
tended that the Minister Of Marine and
Fisheries had conceded too much to the
Americans. Great Britains claims had
been for seaport at tidewater, and the
British named Pyramid Harbor as the
pared 10 relinquish all title in Dyea and
SkaEway, and then proposed that the rest
of the matter be left to arbitra ton on the
basis that fifty years occupancy of any
district by either side should give title 10
that side
Officials Of the State Department assert
that lhero IS no cause for fear
upon the part of Americans at
present. for the settlement of the
boundary question. despite the modus
NiNendi and the survey just completed. is
as far in the future as it was last sum
mer. The line just run has no force but
exists only for police purposes until a
treaty permanently defining the boundary
IS written and signed.
In the meantime the line is of value in
preventing conflict of authority between
constabuiary of either nation and in this
manner aids materially in policing a dis
trict which at present is far from civilZa-
ton.