The Nome nugget., 1903-11-28
STORY OF ''SjjI BoUN6ARY 6I Great Britain's Slight
 Claim. '
 ABLE EXPOSITION Of the Case by Prof. George Dav. idsOn, the Eminent
 GeOgrapher.
ABLE EXPOSITION

The Alaska boundary question is one that has engaged the attention of the American and British government foI some time past. As readers of THE NUGGET know, recently "high com mission," composed of three Americana and three Britishers, met in London tC adjudicate the question, if possible This commission tiuished it's labors early last month, but up to the close Oi navigation no decision had been ren. dered, and it was thought probable that the commissioners would be un. able to agree.
 The following Story of the Bound. ary is taken from 6 lecture delivered Tn San Francisco, couple of years ago, by Prof. George Davidson, the eminent geographer, and it will be found of in. terest:
 ''Russia claimed the territory by right of discovery and occupation in l74l, claim that is not assailable, and the territory was formally annexed in l766. In 1775 and 1794 the Spanish found thriving Russian settlements there. Russia held her rights to the coast against English, Spanish, French and Americans, and in 1921 issued a ukase to all the northwest coast and Bering sea down to the 5lst degree.
 By the treaty of 1921 between Eng land and Russia the boundary under which we claim was fixed, and for 42 years, or until we purchased Alaska, that boundary was never challenged" "
 The speaker then delimitated that boundary, which, with reference to the strip of territory in question, began at the south point of Prince of Wales island, ascended north to the 56th par allel of north latitude, thence following the summit of the mountains of the continental shore to the Hist parallel of west longitude. But at no point shall it exceed ten marine leagues from the continental shore" Just of the coast of this mainland is the archi- pelago of Alexander, about 80 miles in width, containing many islands and deep, narrow channels. By the treaty of 1925 Great Britain obtained only the right to free navigation across and through the inlets of the 50-mile strip of coast line to her territory. In 1853 the Hudson Bay Company endeavored to establish a permanent post at the mouth of the Stikeen, but was driven away by two Russian war vessels, and England never protested. In 1854, during the Crimean war, England and Russia agreed not to attack one an. others possessions in the Northwest. "Then," said the speaker, twas Eng lands time if she had any claim to en- force it. Gold was discovered on the Stickeen in 1861, and later the com. mander of the British warship De. vastatiOn asked permission of Russia to visit the Stickeen and investigate some trouble between the miners and Indians. In 1869 the United States found that the British post of Fort Yukon, at the mouth of the Porcupine, was Al degrees on American territory, and the post was moved.
 up to 1867 there was no contention on the part of Great Britain to Russia $ claim to the archipelago or the SO-mile strip of continental shore. All atlases and maps, even those of England, showed the boundary 30 miles from the shore. In 1867 Russia ceded to the United States all that territory and islands on the continent of America as