Arizona republican., 1903-12-08
Alaskan Boundary.

lnence the urgent necessity of a prac-
teal demarcation of the boundaries
between the jurisdictions of the United
States and Great Britain. Although
the treaty of 1925 between Great BRIAN
and Russia, the provisions of which
were copied i'm the treaty of 1867,
whereby Russia conveyed Alaska to
the United States, was positive as TO
the control. first by Russia and later
by the United States, of a strip of
territory along the continental main
land from the westedn shore of Port
land from the western shore of Port
ing and surrounding the indentations
of the coast and including the islands
to the westward, it's description of the
landward margin of the strip was in
definite, resting on the supposed exist
ence of continuous ridge or range of
mountains skirting the coast, as fig
ured in the charts of the early naviga-
tors. 1t had at no time been possible
for either party in interest to- lay
down, under the authority of the
treaty. n line so obviously exact ac-
cording to it's provisions as to COM
mand the assent of the other. For
nearly threefourth of century the
absence of tangible local interests de-
handing the exercise of positive juris-
dlction on either side of the border
left the question dormant. In 1873
questions of revenue administration
on the Stikine river led to the estab-
lishment of a provisional demarcation,
crossing the channel between two high
peaks on either side about twenty-four
miles above the river mouth. In 1899
similar questions growing out of the
extraordinary development of mining
interests in the region about the head
of Lynn canal brought about a tenn
porary modus vivendi. by which a
convenient separation was made at the
watershed divides of the White and
Chilkoot passes and to the north OF
Klukwan. on the Klehini river. These
partial and tentative adjustments could
not, in the very nature of things, be
satisfactory or lasting. A permanent
disposition of the matter became i'm
perative.
After unavailinE attempts to reach
an understanding through a Joint High
Commission. followed by prolonged ne
gotiatiOns. conducted in an amicable
spirit, convention between the Unit
ed States and Great Britain was sign
ed. January "a. 1903, providing for an
examination of the subject by a mixed
tribunal of six members, three on a
side, with view to it's final disposi-
ton. Notifications were exchanged on
March last, whereupon the two Gov
ernments appointed their respective
members. Those on behalf of the Unit
ed states were Elihu Root, Secretary
of War, Henry Cabot Lodge, a Sena-
tor of the United States. and George
Turner, an ex-senator of the United
Right Honorable Lord AlYerstone, Lord
Chief Justice of England, Sir Louis
Amable Jette, X. c. NJ c., retired
judge of the Supreme Court of Que
bee, and A. b. Aylesworth, K. c.. of
Toronto. This tribunal met in London
on September 3, under the presidency
of Lord Alverstone. The proceedings
were expeditions, and marked by a
friendly and conscientious spirit. The !
respective cases, counter cases. and |
arguments presented the issues clearly
and fully. On the goth day of October |
a majority of the tribunal reached and |
signed an agreement on all questions |
submitted by the terms of the con-
ventiOn. By this award the right |
of the United States to con-
troll continuous strip or border of |
the mainland shore, skirting all the |
tide-water inlets and sinuOsities of the |
coast, is confirmed; the entrance to
Portland canal concerning which legi-
innate doubt appeared) is defined as
passing by Tongass Inlet and to the
northwestward of Wales and Pearse
islands; line is drawn from the head |
of Portland canal to the fifty-sixth de-
gree of north latitude; and the inter
Tor border line of the strip is fixed
by lines connecting certain mountain
lying between Portland canal
and Mount st. Elias, and running
along the crest of the divide separating
the coast slope from the inland water
shed at the >only part of the frontier
where the drainage ridge approaches
the coast within the distance of ten
marine leagues stipulated by the
treaty as the extreme width of the
strip around the heads of Lynn canal
and it's branches
While the line so traced follows the
The provisional demarcation of 1873 at
The crossing of the Stikine river. and
that of 1899 at the SUBMITS of the
White and Chilkoot passes, it runs
much farther inland from the Kleh-
nj than the temporary line of the later
nodus vivendi, and leaves the entire
mining district of the Porcupine river
and Glacier creek within the jurisdic-
ion of the United States.
The result is satisfactory in every
way. 1t is of great material advan-
age to our people in the far north
vest. 1t has removed from the field of
discussion and possible danger a ques- |
ion liable to become more acutely ac- '
entuated with each passing year. FL ]
tally, it has furnished a signal proof l
# the fairness and good will with {
which two friendly nations can ap-
roach and determine issues involving {
rational sovereignty and by their ma
ure incapable of submission to a third I
lower for adjudication. {
The award is self-eXecuting on the t
ital points. To make it effective as I
egards the others it only remains for /
he two governments to appoint, each |
n its own behalf, one or more scien- I
ffic experts, who shall, with all con-
enient speed, proceed together to lay I
own the boundary line in accordance
nth the decision of the majority of {
he tribunal I recommend that the S
OngreSS make adequate provision for