New-York tribune., 1900-11-19
RELATIONS WITH CANADA.

Current intimations concerning relations with
Canada are promising and welcome Steps are
being taken, ii is said, for the reassembling of
the Joint High Commission and the resumption
of negotiations for settlement of all controver-
sizes save one between the United States and the
Dominion. These controversies are numerous
and important. They comprise Behring Sea and
the seals the Maine Wisconsin and Minnesota
boundaries North Atlantic and Lake fisheries.
labor immigration, commercial reciprocity, the
bonding system, mining privileges, wrecking
and salvage on the Lakes, and the building and
keeping of warships the Lakes. They are
all matters susceptible of fair settlement by
friendly negotiation, and it is understood that
there is a good prospect of agreement upon
them. In fact, it was positively declared year
or more ago that there was no insuperable diff
ference of opinion respecting them between the
representatives of the two countries. The only
bar to a settlement at that time was the one
matter which is omitted from present consider
alton. The Canadian Commissioners made the
granting of their contentious concerning it
sine qua non to the settlement Of the other Ques
tions. Now. however, that matter which proved
the stumbling block has been withdrawn from
consideration by power superior to the Com
mission. and there should therefore be little diff
fculty in carrying the residue of negotiations to
q favorable issue.
The one question which has been withdrawn
from the Commissions consideration is that re-
lating to the boundary between the Alaska pan
handle. south Of Mount ST. Elias, and British
Columbia. More popular interest has been
aroused-though perhaps unduly-in 1t than in
any other question at issue between the two
countries, and more mischievous misapprehen-
sion appears to exist concerning 1t than any
other We therefore gladly comply with the
! recent request Of an esteemed correspondent for
succinct statement of the salient facts in the
case down to date The old Anglo-Russian
| treaty fixed the line along the crest of the
mountain range parallel with the coast provided
that 1t was not more than thirty marine miles
from the coast; but IL 1t were further. or IL No
such well defined ridge existed il was to ha
drawn arbitrarily thirty marine miles from tho
coast and parallel with the windings theraof
For nifty years that treaty stood unchallengod
though no thorough and accurate survey Of tha
boundary line was ever made. The houndarv
"af, however, roughly marked by Russia in
ACC ora with the last quoted provision of tho
treaty, and that marking was accented and ro
spected by both sides In 1868 the Tinted
States succeeded TO Russias title To Alaska
ana for many years the boundary remained as
1t mad been, undisputed, and on the best Cana
dian maps was marked where Russia had
drawn It, few years ago, when the wealth or
Alaska began to be developed, Canada claimed
that the boundary line as it had stood for sixty
OF seventy years was wrong. and that instead
OF Deihg drawn parallel with the coast OF the
maihiand IL should be measured thirty miles
iroin the outer edge OF the islands lying of the