The evening times., 1900-10-16
THE ALASKAN BOUNDARY.
Pamphlet just Issued by the Geo
f0gfcEl SurYeY.

logical Survey.
Henry Cannett, in a pamphlet just is
sued by the United States Geological
Survey on the boundaries of the United
States, has the following TO say regarding
the Alaskan boundary:
There is n,9 possibility of a misinter-
pretation of the language of the treaty
with Russia IF 1857 concerning the por-
tion of the boundary running along the
l4lst meridian from. the shores of the
Arctic Ocean TO the neighborhood of the
coast near Mount st. Elias. and in recent
years points upon this boundary, notably
at the crossing OF the Yukon, have been
established by the United States and Ca
madam surveyors by astronomic means
and marked
Concerning the remaining portion of
the boundary, however, from the neigh
borhood of Mount St Elias southeast
ward 10 the mouth of Portland Canal,
question has been raised in recent years
by Canadian authorities
1T has long been known that the coast
OF this part of Alaska is extremely bro
ken, containing many fiords extending
far inland, and that no contiguous range
OF mountains parallels the coast 1t was
sides that the second alternative of the
treaty that the boundary should follow a
line ten marine leagues distant from the
coast and following it's windings should
be the one finally adopted when the ques-
tion of making the boundary arose This
position was taken by the United States
and consistently followed from the time
OF the acquisition of the territory to the
present All maps. United States and
= On act af
sovereignty were performed by the Unit
ed States within this territory, no ques-
tion being raised by the Canadian authori-
ties, and the claim of the United States to
strip of territory ten marine leagues
in width from the main coast was uniyer-
sally admitted by the Canadian authori-
ties.
The discovery of gold in the basin of
the Yukon, in Canada and the fact that
the only feasible means of access to this
region lay through United States terrific
ry, made 1t extremely desirable for Can
aday to possess a port or ports on this
coast as the starting points of routes TO
the Yukon mines, and it was only when
this necessity appeared that any question
arose concerning the Interpretation of the
definition of the limits in the treaty.
The claim made by the British Gov
ernment before joint Commission on
the Boundary was that the boundary. in-
stead OF passing up Portland Canal,
should pass up Pearse Canal, con-
Meeting with Portland Canal. up which it
follows to the summit Of the mountains
nearest to the coast, and then should
follow them, regardless of the fact that
they do not form continuous range,
crossing all the inlets of the sea up TO
Mount St Elias. This OF course was re-
fused by the United States Commission
ers. proposition made by the British
Commissioners to refer the matter to ar
bitration was also refused by the United
States Commissioners, en- the ground that
there was nothing to arbitrate. since the
territory in question was in possession
OF the United States, and had been fer
many years without dispute, such possl s.
sion being IN full accord with the terms
OF the treaty. The Commission was then
dissolved, the only outcome being
agreement that the SUBMITS Of White AMI
Chilkoot Passes and a point upon the
Chilkat. above Pyramid Harb,r. were
temporarily adopted as points upon the
boundary"