The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-09-06

THE dispute between the United
States and Great Britain over the
Alaskan boundary involves a dis
trict ranging from thirty to sixty miles
in width and about 500 miles in length.
If this controversy is decided against
us. we viii lose a strip Of territory
about equal in size to the combined
area Of three New England states. Con-
necticut, New Hampshire and Massa-
chusetts. 1t isn't the worth of the land
itself which has given rise to the con-
tentlon, but the strategic value of its
location. According to the present con-
fines the United States has the English
possessions bottled up and smut of from
communication with the Pacific ocean.
canada wants harbOrs on the Alaskan
coast 50 she can reach her valuable
possessions in the interior without be-
ing subjected to American custom reg
ulatiOns. As Ii is now there is no way
OF getting into the KIOndike without
traversing American soil. This is adj
m1ttedly very awkward for the British
Grs. but the way I'm which Cney propose
To remedT the evil viii hardly go t.
through on IT'S merits.
Canada has a poor case. When the
United States government contemplated
buying Alaska from Russia. both the
Russian and English maps were called
4NA anu tAHllIAilEu III OlQtl 10 QELellllllAt /
just What territory WIS TO be included
in The purchase. The maps of the two
countries We're Identical, being based
upon "a treaty which had stood since
1875 The American government closed
the deal with the representatives of the
car and took possession of it's prop
erty. Great Britain knew all the par
Uiculars and raised no objection to
them. For fifty years after the ans
action there was no complaint. but
when gold was discovered IL the in
terror of Canada suddenly began to
find fault with the boundary. claiming
that according to the terms of the old
treaty the line should be nearer the
coast and include several Of the best
salt water harbOrs I'm English terri
tory. The representatives of John Bull
said 10 was very plain that they We're
entitled TO a number of these harbors.
hut in order TO be in keeping with the
spirit Of compromise they would be sat
isfed with ne-Jh best one. That is
one of the British tricks; Claim every
thing. meet the other fellow half way
ON his own ground and end by having
a clear gain Of whatever lac nna1ly oH-
CC1CS.
The boundary line is described i'm Ar
ttcies III and " of the old treaty as fol-
lows:
iii. Commencing from the southern
most point Of the island called Prince Of
Wales island. which point lies i'm the
parallel of "a deg. 40 min. north lati-
tude and between the one hundred and
thirty-irst and one undred and thirty
third degrees of west longiruue meridi-
an of Greenwich. the said line shall
ascend to the north along the channel
called Portland channel as far as the
pOint of the continent where if strikes
the dfty-siXth degree of north Latitude:
from this last mentioned point the line
of nnmnrTnffnm shall fnlFnrar fha GrrunvafF
of the mountains situated parallel 10
the coast as far as the point of iutersec-
lion of the one hundred and forty-frst
degree of west longitude COT the same
meridian), and from said point of in
tersectiOH north, etc.
Nv. With reference to the lire of de
marcatiOn laid down in the preceding
article. il is understood.
First. That the island called the
Prince of Wales island shall belong
wholly 10 Russia.
Second. That wherever the summit
OF the mountains shall extend in a di-
reCtiOn parallel to the coast, from the
ffty-siXth degree of north latitude 20
the point of intersection of the one
hundred and forty-hrst degree Of west
longitude. shall prove 20 be a distance
or more than ten marine leagues from
the ocean, the limit between the Brit
ish possessions and the lire of coast
which is TO belong to Russia as above
mentioned shall be formed by a line
parallel TO the windings (sinuosities) of
the coast. and which shall eve exceed
the distance of ten marine leagues
therefrOm.'
Sir Wilfred Laurier. premier Of Cana
da. stated in the Canadian parliament,
in reply to "a question relative 10 the
Alaskan boundary:
According to our construction of the
intent of the treaty, the boundary line
should follow the crest of the noun
tains nearest the coast. passing over
bays n creeks and inlets, which are
territorial waters The wording of the
treaty c~OntradiCts this fatty by saying.
formed by "a line parallel 10 the wind
ings (sinuosities) Of the coast" To
make the teuti OF the treaty more
certain. Count NesselrOde. the Russian
prime minister who framed it. said: IF
Prince of Wales island remains ours. il
must be Of some use TO as, and If the