The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-18

T ONDON, October 17.-The Alaska
 boundary commission today reached
 an agreement whereby all the American contentious are sustained with the exception of those in relation to the Portland canal, which Canada wins. All that now remains to be done is for the commissioners to affix their signatures which will accompany 1t. On the map will be marked the boundary line definitely fix ing the division of American and British territory on such basis that no Ameri- can citizen will lose a foot of land he al- ready believed he held, while the United rich Alaskan territory, with the exception of the Portland canal, which gives Can ada the one outlet she so much needed.
 The long-standing dispute was only set tied after week of keen, trying, secret deliberations between the arbitrators. Even up to noon today there was an acute possibility that a disa agreement might re- suit, and the whole proceedings fall to the ground. Lord Alverstone, though openly inclined to believe in the justice of the American argument that the Uni ted States was entitled to the heads of inlets, as contained in question five, held out that Canada had established her case in questions two and three, dealing with the Portland canal.
 After luncheon Senator Lodge, Secretary Root and Senator Turner agreed to cede these points and to start the American boundary line from the head of the Port land canal, this giving the Canadians that channel and some small islands on which there are only a few old storehouses. This accomplished, the majority of the tribunal agreed to fix, with this exception. the entire boundary as outlined in the Am erican case Whether Messrs. Aylesworth and Jett, the Canadian commissioners, will refuse to sign the decision and make it unanimous is not yet known but it will not affect the validity of the agreement if a minority report Is sub mitted. By Monday afternoon 1t is hoped everything will be ready for signature, although the actual marking of the line on the map which shall forever determine the respective territories will occupy some time
 The majority of the commissioners left the foreign office hurriedly this afternoon in order to catch trains for weekend visits to the country. Nothing had oc- cured which would lead the few on- lockers even to suspect that the dispute had reached its practical end. The com missioners themselves are still bound to secrecy until the decision is actually rem dered and practically few others were really aware how great a degree of suc- cess had attended the efforts of the Am erican members of the tribunal.
 Washington, October 17.-Secretary Hay tonight received a cablegram from Lon don zrrauncing that the Alaskan bnln- darS comsalssion expected to hand down a decision on Monday, but that no final agreement had been reached. No further details of the cablegram were given out.
 Commenting on the Associated Press dispatches, a high administration official said:
 "State department officials are natur- ally profoundly grateful that a decision has been reached favorable to the Ameri- can contention. As was pointed out to- night by high official, the decision Is a complete Justification of our claims, an evidence of the skill with which the American case has been presented and a tribute to the fairness and broadminded- ness of the British member of the com mission, Lord Chief Justice Alverstone'
 The effect of the decision, 1t Is stated