The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-20
Alaskan Boundary Decision Sign-
 ed by a Naj1riI
CANADIANS LEAVE TIE ROOM
Refuse to Sign Important Document and Turn on Their Heels Before the Other Commissioners Have
 Affixed Their Names.

London, October 19--A draft of the de- cison reached by the Alaska boundary commissioners. as announced by the As soeiated Press, was signed by majority of the commissioners this evening, Messrs. Aylesworth and Jette, the Canadian com missioners, refusing to sign.
 The decision grants all the American contentious with the exception of the one relating to the Portland canal. The sig natories were Lord Chief Justice Alver- stone and Senator Lodge, Senator Tur- ner and Secretary Root, the American commissioners. They constituted a major fly and insured finality.
 Messrs. AyIesworth and Jette carried their outspoken disapproval of the de- eision to the point of refusing to sign even that section of the decision giving the Portland canal to Canada. and they emphasized their attitude by walking out of the cabinet room in the foreign of flee before the signatures of the others had been affixed to the historic doeu- ment. which has already been printed and Is ready for the session to be held tomor- row.
 Must Now Sign Map.
 The only thing remaining to be done at this session is the majority of the tribunal to complete and sign the map whch
 companies the decision, and which mi- nutely determines the course of the boundary in accordance with the Amer | icans contentious contained in question | No. ,. An engrossed copy of the decision also will be signed on Tuesday.
 The refusal of Messrs. Aylesworth and | Jette to coincide in Lord Alverstones l view, was only known to q few persons here tonight but at the foreign office and ] in high government circles 1t has created l a painful impression. There is no hope expressed that the Canadian commission CTS will reconsider their attitude and sign the engrossed copy of the decision, which will stand as the international record of the tribunals findings.
 Conflict Is Explained.
 Washington, October 19.-An apparent conflict in the information from London and the announcement made by a state department official Saturday regarding the agreement reached by the Alaskan boundary commissioners. is explained here by the statement that the London advlces touching the victory of the Amer ican case on all points except as 10 the Portland canal, are perfectly correct, but that the commissions decision was not technically final. because of it's omission to locate the Mountain range" which was referred to in the original Russian treaty of cession as q conditional limit to the American claim. It is said. how ever, at the state department that this Is not after all material. in view of the commissions decision that every inch of the shore line north of the Portland canal is American territory for whether l the strip he only mile wide or tenN miles or forty, the Canadians cannot | reach the sea without crossing American territory. 1t is stated that in all prob ability period of one year will be re- quired to complete the work of demit- alton on the boundary line provided for in the treaty. The commissioners 'ouid only lay down general principles for the fixation of the lne but they could not, in the nature of the case, undertake to make a practical survey. This work will be done by experts named by both gov ernments--the United States and Great Brltain-and steps to this end will be taken as soon as the two governments are notified by the commission of the outcome of it's work