The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-11-16
Will Again Attempt To Settle
Controversies.
Alaska Question Will Be
Left Open.
To Be Settled BY Direct Nego-
tiati0n.

Warrington, November 15.-Steps have
been taken for resuming the important
work of the Anglo American commission
made up OF representatives OF the United
States, Great Britain and Canada, and
consideration OF the subject now In pro-
gress will determine within few days
what course VIII be pursued. Corre-
spondence has passed recently between
Otta wa and Washington, relative to re-
suming .hs work and now that the elec-
tions on both sides of the border are over,
thers is felt to be mere time and oppor-
tunity TO devote to the serious questions
involved before this commission. 1t is
understood that the American commits
sioners hope TO remove the possibility of
such Intellectual results as occurred at
their last sitting. On the Alaska question
the commission was practically dead
locked, and 1t made no report of progress
on other questions because OF inability to
conclude this question. Since then, how
ever, a modus vivendi on Alaska has been
agreed upon and willis 1t lacks perma-
nency 1t Is felt that the question can be
best left to direct negotiations between
the two governments. What arrange
ment can be made In this particular viii
depend upon the conference now going
on. The purpose OF the committee is to
frame q new treaty between the United
States and Great Britain covering the
various questions arising along the
Canadian border and thus disposing OF a
wide range of controversy. The questions
before the committee are Of long standing
and include the establishment of the
boundary between Alaska and British
Columbia, the issues over Behring Sea
and the catch OF fur seals; the unmarked
boundary between Canada and the United
States near Passamaquoddy bay and at
points between Wisconsin and Minnesota
and Canada: the northeast fisheries ques-
ton involving the rights of fishing In the
north Atlantic of New Foundland and
other points the regulation of the fishing
rights on the great lakes, alien labor I'M
migration across the Canadian American
border; commercial reciprocity between
the two countries the regulation of the
bonding system by which goods are car
ried In Eond across the frontier and also
the regulation of traffic by international
railways and canals OF the two countries,
reciprocal mining privileges in the Klon-
dixie British North America ana other
points; wreoking and salvage on the
ocean and the Great Lakes ooasting
waters; the mobilization OF the treaty ar
rangement under which only one:war ves-
sell can be maintained on the Great Lakes
with view to allowing warships to be
bull. on the Great Lakes and then tioated
out to the ocean.
Progress has been made on some OF
these questions and a practical agree
ment reached on several of them. But In
each case the settlement as depended on
a disposal OF all Of them. With the
prospects of emitting Alaska from the
points involved the chances of reaching a
treaty agreement on the other points viii
be materially improved.
The personnel OF the commission is an
unusually notable one. The British gov
ernment was represented by the late Lord
Herschel, former chancellor OF the ex-
chequer. But his death shortly after the
last adjournment leaves a vacancy and
although no appointment has been made
the name OF Lord Alverstone, better
known as Sir Richard Webster, is being
Sir Wilfred Laurier, premier