Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-20
THE ALASKAN DISPUTE
THE CONTROVERSY BEGAN OVER
THIRTY YEARS AGO.
It Was Given Renewed Strength on
the Discovery of Gold in
the Klondike.

While the controversy over the Alaskan
boundary began as far back as 1879, when
Canadian authorities called the attention
Of our State Department to 1.-The necessity
OF some action being taken at an early
date to have the boundary line of Alaska
properly Defined it was not until the dis
covery Of gold in the klondike. in 1898,
that the issue became sharply defined and
Canadian insistence peremptory.
The value of the new gold fields awak-
ened Canada to the fact that under exist
ing conditions the United States maintain
ed its jurisdiction over Dyea and Skagway,
on the Lynn canal the only practical gate
way to the gold-bearng Yukon district, in
which is the famous Klondilke field.
The contention raised by Canada was
over the proper Interpretation of the An
glo-Russian boundary treaty of 1925, the
pertinent articles of which were ncorpo-
rated in the Russian treaty of 1867 where
by Alaska was coded to the United States
What is Undisputed.
1t is undisputed that the Anglo Russian
treaty gave Russia a strip of land running
along the Pacific ocean from 81 degrees
40 minutes northward. The question rails
ed was, How wide was this strip meant to
be? The treaty says that it shall be
where wider than 10 marine leagues from
the ocean. Both England and the United
States make a marine league three miles.
The contention arose over the nterpreta
ton of the ocean limits, for the Alaska
coast line is intersected by many bays and
inletS. Canada has insisted that the treaty
meant the outward coast bordering on the
ocean. while the United States maintained
that the boundary should be measured
from the inland shore and the bays and in
lets, they being arms of the ocean. On
the Canadian contention that country
n xY-1ri 40
view of the United States Canada would
be shut from the ocean. The line drawn
by Canada for the purpose of making its
case crosses several inlets, notably the
Lynn and Portland canals.
The American Argument
The American argument has been that
the boundary line follows the sinuosties of
the coast line. and thus cuts off Canada
from all the arms OF the sea, putting Por-
cupine creek. for instance, and the gold
bearing district under American jnrisdic-
ton. -.-- r.- 49,
The argument of counsel for the United
States that Canada never seriously OBJ
jected to the United States Interpretation
of the treaty until the Klondike strike, and
that the authorities In Ottawa never raised
any serious question to the boundary until
twenty-five years after the purchase Of the
territory. There We're efforts made how
ever. the part of Canada to determine
the line, as stated at the beginning of the
article.
The Treaty With Russia.
The treaty with Russia, by which Alaska
ceded to the United States was signed
on March 30, 1867. and Congress ratified it
on July p, 1868. Canada became a party TO
the boundary dispute by the admission of
British Columbia to the Dominion on July
% 1871. In the next year the Canadian
government asked that the boundary be de-
replied, on November IA, 1877, that he was
perfectly convinced of the expediency of
such a measure, but feared that Congress
might not be willing to grant the necessary
funds
The correspondence on ethe, subject be-
tween Ottawa and Washington continued
up to the treaty convention of 1872 This
convention, approved by the Senate on July
% of that year, recited that the two coun-
tries agreed that concident survey of the
disputed boundary should be made, with a
view to the ascertainment of the data nee
essary for the permanent delmitation of
the boundary line in accordance with the
spirit and intent OF the existing trea ties in
regard to 1T between Great Britain and
Russia and between the United States and
Russia. Commissioners were appointed for
the purpose of carrying out this agreement.
and their reports were submitted to their
respective governments on December 81.
1895. The commissioners failed to agree on
the chief point of issue-whether the ten
marine leagues should be computed from
the western coast line adjoining the omen
sea, or from the extreme point of inland of
the inlets.
Meeting of the Commission.