New-York tribune., 1902-10-30
THE ALASKAN BOUNDARY
THIS GOVERNMENT INSISTS ON THE
THIRTY-MILE LIMIT
MONUMENTS OF 40 IMPORTANCE-AMER
CAN CASE BASED ON THE
TREATY OF 1sa5.
LpY rGLKenAPH To TnE rRIRrNE. ]


Washington, oct 29-Ileutenant George T
Emmons, L. 5. ". who was sent 10 Alaska last
spring by the State Department 10 relocate GER
tain alleged Russian landmarks which had come
under his observation many years ago. when
he was on active survey service for the navy
on the Pacific Coast. has completed his field
work. and. after making a brief preliminary
verbal report. is now in New-Yor writing the
extended official account of his discoveries.
These consisted in the establishment of ancient
ruins. undoubtedly the work of man. but
whether Russian Indian the indications do
not appear TO be wholly conclusive, Some Of
them are within thirty miles of the coast line.
and some are beyond that distance from tide
water. While Investigations of the character
pursued by Lieutenant Emmons are regarded
as having sorle value from an chronological point
OF view, those charged with protecting the in
terests Of the United States in the ALASKAN
boundary controversy attach no weight what
ever to their bearing on the questions at issue.
except for the comfort and assistance they may
afford TO Canadian officials. who are most ective
in bringing in extraneous matters 10 plicate
the discussion
The case of the United States rests wholly on
the express deimitation Of the boundary given
in the treaty of 1928 between Russia and Great
Britain. which definitely fixed the line at ten
interprets it. az thirty miles from tidewater
The United States paid Russia S7O0OOOO for
that treaty as the title 10 Alaska, and declines
TO entertain any proposition which aims 10 mod
ify its terms. For that reason this government
has refused to arbitrate any claim now put forth
by Canada which had already been considered in
the discussions between Russia and Great Brit
ain from 1920 TO 1925 At that time all the
questions of mile posts. mission churches trail
marks and trappers' habitations were exhaus-
lively threshed over, and George Canning who
was British Secretary for Foreign Affairs. con-
ceded Russian occupation far into the interior
and even expressed willingness 10 draw the line
one hundred miles from the ocean If the Cars
ukase Of 1921 prohibiting all foreign vessels TO
trade with the natives were revoked There
never has been any rational denial that Russian
Alaskan domination a hundred years ago eX-
tended more than one hundred miles from the
coast, and that Russian missionaries frequently
in stone buildings, were supported in several
parts of that vast territory: bur this does not
affect the fact that Russia by binding treaty
agreed 20 the thirty-mile STRIP and that the
United states bought nothing but that treaty,
which was all Russia had 10 sell
After the treaty had been undisnuted for fiftv
years and when the United States was in full
possession, the discovery of gold and the in
creased wealth of Alaska gave Canadians sufi-
Client incentive Tor raising numerous questions.
devtsing various ingenious interpretations and
bringing forward vast quantities Of irrelevant
facts 10 muddle the situation in the hope of Sc
curing that outlet to the sea which an emphatic
stipulation of the treaty of 1928 forever pre-
vented
The present administration pays no attention
whatever 10 any proposition which contemplates
moving the treaty boundary one way or another
from the thirty line from tidewater