Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1903-08-07

THE DISPUTED ISLANDS.
They Are Shown in The Circle eff the Eorneo
Coast.
want them. And, anyway, they belong
to us.
These seven islands lying. so close
TO British North Borneo, came to us
along with the sultan of Sulu. But we
lay claim to them, not because this
Sulu sultan has spiritual power over
the Mohammedans in some islands
without the Sulu group and even over
Mohammedans residing in British
North Borneo, but because of two trea-
ties the first, a treaty between Great
Britain, Germany and Spain, wherein
Spain was given title to all the islands
Outside marine leagues distance of
the Borneo coast; the second treaty
referred to the one between the United
States government and the sultan of
Jolo in which agreement was made
that all the islands ceded to Spain by
the treaty of 1885 should belong to the
United States.
The seven islands recently visited by
the United States gunboat are unques-
tionably out of the marine league limit
of this treaty, and authorities declare
the British have not a shadow of claim
| to them. They are uninhabited and
reputed uninhabitable; all lie close to-
! gether and are spread over an area of
about 40 miles. The largest of the
seven Boaani and Tagenac. command
the harbor of Sandakam, the capital
of British North Borneo. Rear Ad-
] II, ,f.yf,, I,,;,. y,I,
| from a strategic point of view, sent
one of the Philippine gunboats to the
islands to survey them, hoist the
! American flag and erect American tab
lets.
The island of Borneo is the largest
of the East India islands. The Dutch
possessions comprise by far the major
part of the territory, the British terri
tory (31 JOG square miles, occupying
the extreme northern portion of the
island. British North Borneo has a
coast line of about 900 miles, a noun
famous interior, and much jungle
land; the population is 200, ZOO; on the
coast are Mohammedan settlers, some
Chinese traders and artisans, and in
land dwell the aboriginal tribes. Bru-
nei and Sarawak, neighboring terri
tories, were placed under British pro-
lection in 1888. British North Borneo
is under the jurisdiction of the Brit
ish North Borneo company, held under
grants from the sultans of Sulu and OF
Brunei. The territory is administered
by a governor (English) in Borneo
and court of directors in London
Our friend, the sultan of Sulu, seems
to have been considerable of a person
age in the past-and may yet be, for
all we know; both Great Britain and
Spain treating him with consideration
Spain used to pay him an annual trib.
ute, and the North Borneo Trading
company still hands over to him 6
yearly tribute of 5000 Mexican dol.
lars. And yet in his own land the po.
tentate has welded but an uncertain
authority; where leach man is more
or less of a free lance. and his author.
ity is measured largely by the number
of rifles he possesses"
Following the word of out putting
hand to the seven tiny islands off the
coast of Borneo comes the report tha
France is going to turn over to us hel
insular possessions in the eastern Pa
cifc. A cynical writer, commenting
on the reported transfer, says: "Th'
correspondent fails to tell whethe
we are to pay for them, or be paid fol
taking them" Certainly their reve
nues are not such as to make us eager
The local budgets OF all for last yea
amounted to not more than 100000
the islands altogether have an area o
about 1920 square miles, and popu
lation of 10000