The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-21

versy was whether the line Of densrcation
bet ween the southeastern end OF Alaska
and the British northwest possessions
cut through the inlets and estuaries OF tho
Pacific or went around them, leaving all
these waterways in American territory
and preventi & Great Brit ain from access
TO the sea. The British Government con-
tended that the boundary line, which was
defir ed by treaty as running parallel with
the sinuosities of the coast at a dis, ance OF
thirty marine miles inland. except where
parallel mountain ranges were nearer,
where il was to follow hese raj ges, was 10
be cons' IT. ed as running parallel 10 me
coast of the Pacific and not parallel 70 the
shores OF the inle's OF that sea. II the
Bri, ish cont en ion had beer anted, D!ea
and Sksgway. two impor ant ports on me
Lynn Cai al, and the pr o ninent places OF
export and import for the Yukon and klon-
dixie e Id fields, would be in Canadian
territory. So would the Porcupine gold
fields. As the trib, nal decided Dyea.
Skagway and juneau. and also the
Poroupine region, remain IN the Jurls-
were settled and developed by Americans,
ard had the award been otherwise these
who held mirirg claims would have prob
ably teer disr Possessed. :.
In determii ing the boundary Lire the
tribur al, while graz th & prat Il. ally nothn &
claimed by Great Britain, did Lot sustain
the United States III it's assertion to owi. err
ship over all the territory south OF the
demar @ ,tion for which it argued. 1t Is
evidet from the terms Of the award that
the tribur al 81 deavored to adhere strictly
to the provisions Of the origin al treaty
definirg the bouL Diary makiI the l. earest
mountain raj ges the lie of demal cation
when they were nearer to tidewater than
| thirty marin miles.
Through this adherence the commission,
on the basis of the latest mars Of the dis
| puted strip, showing mountains near the
coast, which were not well Known or
accurately located when the British-Rus-
sian boul Diary treaty was made in 1925, or,
| in come cases, even When Alaska was sold
| to the III tied States in 1857 sliced of strips
of lal d claimed by the United States which
in the tribunals OF il ion, lay North CT
mountain RAJ ges,. within thirty miles OF
coast. In this way, the village Of Bennett;
an American Iost office Lorth OF the head
| Of Lynn Canal, is left in British territory,
! and strip ranging from five to twenty
| miles wide within the outer boui. Diary
contend ed for by the United States Is placed
| on the Canadian side.
Over on the northwestern and western
side OF the area in dispute the strip Topped
of from what was claimed by the United
States is in some places as much as forty
| miles wide. But nearly all this land is in
remote, mount ainous region, and the western
end Of it is covered with glaciers, Mount
Hubbard eighty miles or so northeast OF
Mount St Elias, which was within the ter
ritorv claimed by the United States, goes
to Canada
The control of Chill q. Pass, and also Of the
Dalton trail leading overland to the klon,
dixie. is to be American. The line hxed
passes through " hite Pass, where there is
pou q British ,stona house This place
is north of the head Of Lynn Canal and is
an important highway. The Kleheny
River. which forms part OF the present
rro-s'crrl boundary established by the
modus vivendi Of 1899, is retained by the tr1-
uu"ui AZ, "A INC Of dema c'tion,
The question over the eastern boundary
OF the Hsiere was decided practically in
accord with the British contention that
the western and not tie eastern arm OF
the Portland Caral was the line Of demarca-
ton. Up 10 u is time the eastern arm,
known as Portland Inlet, has been the
boundary, as feld by the United States.
Between it and the western arm, known as
Pearsa Canal, lies PeaIse Island and some
other islands, wlich, being on the Alaskan
side, were under American Jurisdiction.
The original boundary treaty between
Russia and England, the language Of which,
transferred verbatim TO the treaty for tie
sale of Alaska TO the United States, made
Portland c. annel the eastern line OF de-
marcation bet tween Alaska and the British
possessions. and It has been held by the
United States that Portland Inlet was Port
land Channel. The tribunal, however,
holds tiat Pearse Canal is the Portland
CT annel of the treaties. II is decision
gives to Canada Pearse Island and peril APPS
some smaller islands in IT. stretch or water
between Portland Inlet and Pearse Canal,
but the tribunal has so drawn the line that
other islands in dat locality will remain
on tie Alaskan side,
TIE islands in Pearse Canal given to the
United States by tie decision are REGARDED
AZ more stratecically important than the
two nearby islands, which, the tribunal
holds, are on the British side of the line.