The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-08-03
What Has Been Accomplished In the
Modus Vivendi.
DISPUTE TEMPORARILY QUIET.
Does Not Get a Port on Tide
Water-No Land Given Away.
England Yielded Nineteen-twen-
tieths Of the Territory in Dispute to
the United states-Another VIC
tory For the Mckinley Admins
tration.

....H. .-------@----------s
WASHINGTON. D. c., Aug. 2.-The
heated discussion of tho modus vivendI
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 be.
gan long ago. and lasted until last.
summer. On the Goth of October, 1899,
an agreement for q temporary and pro-
visional boundary line was arrived ut
between the secretary OF state and Mr.
Reginald Tower, OF the British EN-.
bassy. and no further action has been
taken by this government, except the
appointment Of member OF the coast
survey, who. in conjunction with an..
other commissioner appointed by the
Canadian government. is now running
the line agreed upon last year.
Permanent Boundary Not Settled.
There has beer no settlement OF the
question Of the permanent boundary be-
tween the United States and Alaska.
The discussion Of this matter has last
ed for many years. II has Its origin in
q disputed Interpretation of the Rus
sian-English treaty OF February IS,
1926. by which the boundary agreed up
on was line following the "sinuosltics
of the coast at a distance Of ten ma
rine leagues, except where the noun
tain range bordering the coast APP
preached 1t nearer than that distance,
In which case the mountain range was
TO be the boundary. At the time the
treaty was made little was known eIth-
er OF the sinuositics of the coast 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 States 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 set
Element 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
O vain discussion of the matter. 1t was
equally impossible to agree upon u
plan OF arbitration.
Reason For Modus Vivendi.
After the adjournment of the joint
high commission the two governments,
finding 1t impossible to come to an
agreement on the subject OF the boun-
Diary. attempted to agree upon modus
vivendi. which, without either side
waving any of Its permanent rights in
the case. would enable them TO agree
upon q temporary arrangement to sus-
pend the long standing dispute between
them.
The British and Canadians were cx-
tremely anxious for foothold upon the
coast. II they could not get the whole
of the inlet of the Lynn canal. which
they claimed. they insisted strenuously
on at least having a portion Of It and j
harbor In tide water.
This pretension was with equal en-
ergy resisted by the government Of the
United States, who ut last succeeded in
getting the British government to ac-
cept the American contention and to
draw the line at the junction OF the
Chilkat and Tiehini rivers. some miles
north OF the most northerly Indian set
Element In Alaska and taking In the
valley OF Porcupine creek to the point
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 vivcndi should be found
outside OF the temporary line thus
drawn the United States insisted upon
the following provision:
ut Is understood as formally set
forth In communications Of the depart
ment OF state OF the United States. that
the citizens or subjects OF either power
found by this arrangement within the
temporary Jurisdiction OF the other
shall suffer no d!minutlon Of the rights
and privileges which they now enjoy"
1t will be seen by this statement that.
so far from the United States having
''ccded to Great Britain territory as
large as the state Of Rhode Island"
they have not coded to Great Britain
one inch OF territory. and that In the
mutual concessions which made the
modus vivcndl possible Great Britain
temporarily yielded to the United
States fully nineteen-twcntieths of the
territory in dispute.
oo-o-
Col. Smiths Staff.
SpecIal DISPATCH to the lntelllgenccr.