The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1901-12-13
BOUNDARY LINES.
NATIONAL FRONTIERS ARE NOT
ALWAYS DELIMlTED.
The Alaska-C Canada Limo, FOR . Great
Part OF Its Length, Can Only be
Guessed at Asserts This WRITER
Possible Controversy.

DR.. Mill, the British g~eographer. re-
Gently called attention to the fact that
Great Britain has still one important
colonial boundary entirely undelimit-
ed in a little known region, where
gold fields will probably be found or
reported before long, and where there
fore, a serious international question
may suddenly arise. He says it would
cost a comparative trifie to. survey
the region in question and to lay down
the boundary line before the gold
fields are touched, so that no interna-
tional trouble about 1t could ever
arise. DR.. Mill did not mention the
particular boundary to which he re-
ferred, but there Is little doubt that
he was thinking Of one OF two lines
The boundary between Alaska and
Canada along the 141st meridian has
not yet been delimited except along
it's southern part. The exact frontier
between the WI countries, for several
hundred miles, can only be guessed at
until it has been scientifically deter
mined and marked at frequent inter-
walls by boundary monuments, such as
the United States and Mexico have
erected along their entire frontier be-
tween the place where the Rio Grande
ceases to be the boundary and the Pa
cifc ocean. 1t is not at all unlikely
that gold may be discovered In the
neighborhood of this boundary at any
time. When this occurs 1t will be .
source Of inconvenience to miners II
they do not know definitely whether
their claims are in the United States or
Canada and history would only. re-
peat itself il the misunderstanding
arising from this lack of knowledge
should result in some international
ever, that DR.. Mill refers to the bound
airy line between German southwest
Africa and the British possessions. It
is known that the German colony Is
rich in minerals. New discoveries are
made, and no one knows yet
how extensive the profitable mining
region may prove to be. The larger
part Of the boundary extends along the
meridian Of 20 degrees east longitude,
but this line has not been delimited.
1t ia certainly better to determine by
an exact survey the position Of such
boundary lines before the value Of the
land near them may give rise to dis
putes and result perhaps in blood
shed. We had an illustration In June
OF the embarrassment which a
apt to result from ignorance Of the To-
cation of a boundary line. It will be
that some of our miners
invested considerable money in
a little to the north Of Mount
Baker, which is in the state of Wash
ington. before 1t was discovered By
a survey that u citizens had opened
their claims under the provisions q
our mining laws in territory that was
clearly over the border in Canada. The
result was most energetic claim-jump-
Ing on the part of Canadians and their
was some trouble and bad feeling be-
Tore the matter was finally adjusted.
It was, of course. unfortunate that the
boundary question between our coun-
try and Canada in the neighborhood
Skagway had not been settled b.
fore tho interests OF the citizens Of
both countries were determined to
hold on tenaciously to territory which
each declared was in his own country.
This boundary question il still unde-
termined. though b modus vivendi has
been arranged.
It sometimes costs q great deal Of
money to postpone the settlement Of
boundary questions until claims have
been pegged out on debatable land. The
historic controversy between venezue-
la and British Guiana should be =
warning to all nations that danger
turks along b line Of unsettled
boundaries.-New York Sun.