New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-09-04
RIVAL CLAIMS IN ALANKA.

That is valid and significant point which
the American Commissioners make in the
Alaska case that the British or Canadian con
tention has been variable. while that Of the
United States a. Of Russia before il. has been
constant and unchanging and known TO all the
world Canada has at times stood 10y one inter
probation Of the treaty Of 1925 and at times Ivy
another. and At vet other times has sought 10
discredit and all but repudiate that instrument.
The United States. on the contrary. has from
the time Of the ceSsiOn Of Alaska 10 the pres
''ent day maintained but one Interpretation Of
the treaty Of 1925" That circumstance upon
the face or il. Is most suggestive in favor Of
the American contention.
II may be added that in that circumstance
history repeats Itself. Canada and the United
States have been doing just what Great Britain
and the United States did from 1922 TO 1925.
when Lord Strarford de Redciiffe and Sir
Charles Bsgot on the one side and Count
Nesselrode and NJ. de Poletica on the ether
were conducting the Anglo Russian negotia-
tons which led TO the making Of tho treaty in
question At that time Great Britain feared the
United States would insist upon retaining pos
session OF the whole Oregon territory up 10 the
Russian line AZ tho historic parallel Of "a 40.
That would have shut British North America
away from the Pacific Coast altogether. and
therefore tho British made strenuous. not 10
say desperate. Efforts 10 get an outlet through
The Russian coast strip. In 50 doing. the British
negotiatorS made various propositions one after
the other These the Russians rejected one
after the other. stubbornly sticking 10 their own
original proposition. which in the end prevailed.
The British first asked 10 have the boundary
line drawn straight down the l4lst meridian To
the sea 81 Mount ST. Elias thus depriving Rus
causing her 10 relinqush her colonial capital.
Sitka. itself This was peremptorily rejected bv
Russia. without serious consideration. The
British next proposed Christian Sound. Chatham
Strait and Lynn Canal as the boundary. ieav-
ine Baranof Island 20 Russia. but giving 10 the
British Juneau Admiralty Island and every
thing 10 the south and east thereof This the
Russians also rejected Then Clarence Strait
and the Suckeen River were proposed. leaving
Prince Of Wales Island 10 Russia. but giving "a
Great Britain the islands OF Wrangell and Re
villa Gicedo. This, also. the Russians rejected.
Finally the British Commissioners conceded 10
Russia the whole strip down 10 5440. but
sought as last resort "a have the coast line
drawn straight across such arms 81 the sea As
Glacier Bay and Lynn Canal from headland TO
headlnRd. 50 go give the British access q
Underwater. This. too. The inexorable Russians TO
fused 10 grant. and in the end they won on this
point rs on al the others. From first 10 last
the constant and infexible Russian contention
was for Russian possession OF sn unhroken
strip o. coast from Mount ST Elias 10 Portland
Canal ano IN the treaty Of 1926 that contention
was explicitly upheld and confirmed
That Russian tltle was transferred ~ the
United States in 1867. and from that tine 70 the
present the United States has inhexibly stood
for rreriSqlv what RssSSfa StooS for sr 1890 -
We have entire confidence that that reasonable