Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-31
What Has Been Accomplished in the
Modus Vivendi.
DISPUTE TEMPORARILY QUIETED
Canada Does Not Get a Port on
Tide Water.
NO Nd GIVEN AWAY

The heated discussion of the modus vi
vendi on the Alaska frontier in certain New
York papers has created the impression
that 1t is something new which is being
discussed. No negotiations have taken
place between this country and England for
nearly year. The discussion began long
ago. and lasted until last summer. On the
10th of October. 1899. an agreement for
temporary and provisional boundary line
was arrived at between the Secretary Of
State and Mr.. Reginald Tower of the Brit
ish embassy, and no further action has been
taken by this government, except the ap-
pointment of a member Of the coast survey.
who. in conjunction with another commits
sioner appointed by the Canadian govern
ment is now running the line agreed upon
last year.
Permanent boundary Not settled.
There has been no settlement of the ques-
ton of the permanent boundary between
the United States and Alaska. The discus
sion of this matter has lasted for many
years. 1t has its origin in disputed inter
probation of the Russian-English treaty OF
February 2S. 1925. by which the boundary
agreed upon was line following the "sinu-
osities of the coast at distance of ten
marine leagues. except where the mountain
range bordering the coast approached II
ilcdIcI llldil ludl ulSldilct, III WHICH case
the mountain range was to be the boun-
dairy. AT the time the treaty made
little was known either Of the sinuoeities
of the coast or Of the mountain range. and.
therefore, when the country came to be
surveyed and more or less settled, constant
disputes arose as to the boundary.
The United Strtes contended that the
boundary went around the head OF Lynn
canal at a distance Of ten marine leagues
except where the coast range approached
nearer than that to the sea. The Canadians
and the British government insisted that
the whole Of Lynn canal and the adjoining
region fell within Canadian territory. No
settlement was arrived at by negotiation
and when the joint high commission OF
some years ago came into being they
wasted the greater part of their time in q
vain discussion Of the matter. 1t was
equally impossible to agree upon . plan OF
arbitration.
Reason for a Modus Vfvendi
After the adjournment Of the joint high
commission the two governments finding
1t impossible to come to an agreement on
the subject of the boundary. attempted to
agree upon a modus vivendi which, without
either side waiving any of its permanent
rights in the case, would enable them to
agree upon a temporary arrangement to
suspend the long-standing dispute between
them.
The British and Canadians were extreme
ly anxious for foothold upon the coast II
of the Lynn canal, which they claimed,
they insisted strenuousy at least hav
ing a portion of 1t and a harbor in tide
water.
This pretension was with equal energy
resisted by the government of the United
States. who al last succeeded in getting the
British government to accept the American
contention and to draw the line at the
junction of the Chilkat and Tlehini rivers.
some miles north of the most northerly
Indian settlement in Alaska and taking in
where 1t enters into the Tlehini The line is
thus removed no less than ten miles from
tidewater.
Guarding American Rights.
For the purpose of guarding the rights of
any American miners who by the modus
vivendi should be found outside of the
temporary line thus drawn the United
States insisted upon the following provis-
ion:
communications of the Department of State
of the United States, that the citizens or
subjects of either power found by this ar
rangement within the temporary jurisdio-
ton Of the other shall suffer no dimnution
of the rights and privileges which they
now enjoy
1t will be seen by this statement that
so far from the United States having
"ceded to Great Britain a territory as large
as the state of Rhode Island they have
not ceded to Great Britain one inch of ter
ritory, and that in the mutual concessions
which made the modus vivendi possible
Great Britain temporarily yielded to the
United States fully Observation-Disclosures of
the territory I'm dispute