The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-08-16
NOW WE LOST "BRITIsB" COLUMBIA.
A,Rsview Of Previous BOUNDARY Disputes with
Great Britain.

To THE EDITOR or THE SUN-Sir; lhere ~
In my collection OF aliases one dated 1891. Whlch
is as interesting In It's way as the sketch map OF
the ancient Alaskan boundary and the new one
proposed as the result Of the m0dus rirend' Tor
the head OF Lynn Canal.
This atlas shows, first, the original boundary
Of Maine under the treaty OF 1888, greater by
$500 square miles than 1t now Is or has been
since the superior diplomacy Of Great Britain
took us In in isl2: secondly. the original bound
airy OF oregon "a part Of the Louisiana Pur-
chase OF 1909, extending northward from the
49th degree OF north latitud' along the Rocky
Mountains TO o. degrees ~ minutes north lat-
tude. thence westward to the Pacific Ocean at
Portland Channel. thirdly. the southern bound
airy OF Oregon coincident with the present
northern boundary Of California at the AID
degree north latitude. at that time also the
northern boundary OF Spanish Am.rica;
fourthly, tho original boundaries Of Russian
America, as claimed by Russia. commencing at
50 degrees 40 minutes north latitude. on the
1 Pacific Ocean, thence eastward crosSthe Rocky
Mountains into The Mackenzie Basin. thence
n%orthward Town the Mackenzie River to the
Arctic Ocean, thence following the Arctic and
Pacific ocean waters TO the Pacific coast at 81
degrees 40 minutes north latitude.
1t may be interesting to recall the origin OF
that historic line OF 81 degrees 20 minutes, long
ono OF prime national Importance
Explorations along the Pacific coast OF North
America were conducted by the Speniards
northward from Mexico. and southwark by
Russia from Beh ring Strait.
The Spanish title Is founded. in addition to
the original conquest OF Mexico by Cortes, on
the following expeditions and explorations:
i534-Expedition sent out by Cortes; dlscov-
cry OF the coast, gulf and peninsula OF Lower
California.
IblO-Etpedition sent out by Mendoza; dis
coverv Of the month OF the Colorado River by
feet commanded by Alarcon.
.ploration by Cabrillo, coast OF upper
ctr-.Lp"n.oa -, 80 Nandoorro rorth
,ahio,hia explored 70 Iape Hdenuo''"o' ""'"
latitude. 40 degrees 80 mlnutes,
the service of SPAIN to the North Coast. e1-
tor and chartipg Of the coast to 5s degrees.
nor,b Ia,it,do
"T,s ora" .ITL.%o y.rv Of tn. BAYS Of San Diego and
Monterey by the spanIards under y~lscaino.
,so"F,pedItIons Of Admiral Fonte north Of
Vancouver Island.
e7-Establlshment Of permanent missions.
under Spanish authority by Jesuit missionaries
at Loreto.
I7e7-E,pulsion OF the Jesuits from Spanish
America ny ,nsrie' opain.
i7oe-Foundlns OF the hrst FRANCISCAN mis-
| sion In AUfOTntA nn0eT SDanlSn antnOTlIY,
70 Tsn ,t,,n =, p"os,a 20 pnssisn An,s-o.
iue "uo Vi "u''" W uSo' "'i
oato. T yitSs r. Bsbrips "a Dane, . for the Tmpres,
Catherine commencing in A ID 1922. In 1924
nather,ne; Gsd tbTougbS he straits now bearl,nS
p"hIlnk snneI 'IaVu az
hS nanie Anu Ssn'heu u eepaia'on VI
Ais ,Ion he m res cSad the American ooas, nj "a
degrees 2s minutes north LATITUDE, not Tar from
naSdd namsd' Monpt ST Elias. thus making
kOOu INV Nllc w iNi5Slh w ~ 'luN " " "
the AlnerIcan C3nuIW,,hh XIV va oa ~ tneS
wes,, 'he 'ohe''uue oi u great "ou"'a'" ia"o-
Dnrlng the IonoWlnS MY Eearn me husSahs
fm na iSs nrosec,tion o, Inc fnr tfads. both ppoSrttb-
erIy and southsrly OF Lynn lanai .
IN lIsE. an e'ent oL ssraL nls,0i,eni rnlpoL-
R anSIi oiS%rr we're isRf ns"i Sp o. the sne land nrfnS of
La faIette. .apt. konert cray: the eminent
mercnahH H. essd ha sbs aCa,o on n0T!on, hs1 ntrsd
dlnon 70 ths roTspc ,o mon re IVES W. t t66s'ups.e
river OF Oregon. Up which he sailed to the bay
which stu 6ears MS name, Giying to the river
the name OF his SNIP aho tne .oIuuloia hIverls
,ropb wss' Of S ths great RRepUblioc'" e "e prouoe''
Al the TIME OF mus ohscoxery the pr,nciple
was fully recpgnized py treat br,tain ana
Of a river carried jurisdiction to and over the
basin drained by N. ana as the head waters OF
now called British Columbia almost to the 54th
degree Of norm latltude me dlscovery
OF apt .tIdS Iialu " ipIHuaton " ,uu' W
mat ba-ln ~, the lnlteu States lhough rreat
Britain now holds a part ot T. the monument o.
her title With the name o. Brltish Coium6la'
rests on the homes OF the ankee skipper snip,
BY the purchase. however, by the United
states from SPAN OF the territory OF louisiana
In 1903. this claim was merged In the more
ancient title. for Spanish navlgators had ex-
plored the coast Just 200 years before up to
81. degrees norm lautude
In 1893 the Emperor Psnl VII. bestowed
forty-year charter on a Fur
company, ana many stat'ons were established
inland a. well as upon the is ands
-Four years, later Oso5l came the Louisiana
Purchase ana the Junction q me ooundaries OF
the territory OF me ! nted states ana Russian
America on the Paclnc ocean
Our Government took prompt measures TO
extend the Tag over, the new territory clear to
the great ocean. and IN 1910 the famous eI-
petition OF Lewis and Clafk crossed the Rocky
Mountains from tins, east ana explored the
oregon territory 70 the Pacuno coast descend
Ing the Columbia River 10 lts mouth.
Immediately after the purchase OF Louisiana
by the United STATES. Great Britain advanced
claims 10 the oregon country on the following
grounds:
1878 That sir, Francis Drake, laden With
the golden spo.ls, OF many Spanish ships
whch he had rifed and sunk. and fearing to