The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-09-05
THE ALASKA
COURT OPENS
Boundary Commission Holds It's First
Meeting In London.
DATE OF ORAL ARGUMENTS.
strong Presentation Of the American
Case = Canadian Claims Made
Only After Gold Discovery
In the htonafke.

room Of the foreign Office.
Prior to the formal assembling the
commissioners met in their private con.
ference room and selected Reginald n
Tower Of the British diplomatic serv-
ice, formerly attached to the legation
at Washington and recently minister
to Siam, to be secretary OF the commits.
sion J. r. Carter, second secretary Of
the United States embassy, and Mr.
Pope, a representative Of the Canadian
government, were appointed assistant
secretaries Lord Chief Justice Aver
stone was subsequently chosen chair
man Of the commission.
Lord Alverstone, after formally an
nouneIng that the commission was il
session, stating that he had been Ne
lected as president, an honor which he
highly appreciated and saying that
Mr.. Tower had been selected as see
rotary and Mr.. Carter and Joseph
Pope as assistant secretaries, asked
counsel when they desired to begin the
oral arguments. Sir Robert b. Finlay
the attorney general, in behalf Of tie
British counsel, suggested that at least
two weeks would be required for prep.
aration, to which Judge John NJ. Dick
inson, representing the American coun
sci, assented, though he said the Amer.
lean counsel would be ready in a week.
Oral Arguments 10 End Oct. o.
Lord Alverstone asked when the oral
arguments would be finished, and At
torney General Finlay suggested Oct.
Is, but his lordship remarked that he
thought a shorter period was advisable,
and Oct 8 was fixed upon.
The commission decided to sit five
days per week, commencing Sept. ii
and excluding Saturdays, and to be fl
session from IL a. m. 10 p. M. daily.
and granted permission for d limited
number Of representatives of the press
to attend the slttlngs.
In order that the presentation of the
cases may be exhaustive 1t has been
arranged that three Of counsel for each
government shall make arguments. the
British opening and being followed al.
ternately by Americans and British,
the former securing the advantage 81
delivering the closing argument.
The commission then removed the in.
junction Of secrecy on all documents
hitherto exchanged, and the sitting was
adjourned
The American Case.
The documents covering the Ameri.
can presentation Of the case are com.
/ prlsed fiji three volumes, making. a total
Of about 100 pages. In addition there
also are two volumes Of maps. The
largest Of the volumes Of text contains
the original statement by the American
commissioners, while one Of the smaller
volumes presents the American eoun.
| ter case III reioinder to the British case
and the other the argument of the
American commissioners. The follow.
ing IS an abstract Of these documents:
In the first volume the questions al
issue-namely, what is intended to be the
point OF commencement OF the line Of de-
marcation between the United States and
Canada. what IS the Portland channel
what course the line should take to the
| entrance OF that channel to what point
OF the ffty-sixth parallel the line should
be drawn from the head Of Portland
channel and other familiar qneshons-are
discussed. There also is extensive discus
sion Of the extent ef the strip Of terri
tory along the coast on the mainland that
| Russia conveyed to the United states by
the treaty Of 1861 1t appears from the
document that Great Britain comedies
that the line begins at Cape Nuzon,
The United States contends that II was
the intention Of the powers which signed
| the treaty Of 1926 TO confirm In fun soy.
ereignty to Russia continuous strip OF
lisiere along the continental shores Of tho
northwest coBst OF America extending
from Portland channel to the one hundred
and forty-first meridian of longitude west
| OF Greenwich, andsthat such strip was to
be ten marine leagues measured from the
| heads Of all CULTS and other arms Of the
j sea unless there was within that distance
a range of mountains The contention IL
4 further made that there is no such noun
/ tain range. II also is urged that the
| United states has occupied this strip of
territory ever since its s@cg8lsition from
/ Russia and that Russia had controlled il
| since the treaty of 1875 until coded TO the
/ United States la 1867
In its counter statement the American
commission makes rejoindor To points
covered in the presentation Of the Brit
fish side OF the case. which It appears con-
tains twenty or more documents which
heretofore have not been given to the
public The additional evidence referred
to bears upon the negotiations which took
place between Great Britain and Russia
during the years 1893 to 1895, and it is
contended chat this new evidence In no
way alters any material contention made
In the original allegation, but that on the
contrary Hit confirms and strengthens
the position OF the United States These
documents consist largely ef statements
made and letters written BY Mr.. Peily.
who was & that time deputy governor OF
this Hudson Bay company and It is con-
tendad that his letters fully sustain tho
assertion that in fixing line Of demarca-
tion che British government acted solely
IN the interests Of that company.
The commissioners discuss at some
length the claim made by their opponents
that many protests have been flied hv
British officials against the American
claim ~ reference to the boundary line.
They admit that from time to time there
have been Informal representations. but
these, they assert were in the main with
out sufficient data 60 Justify serious con-
aideration. Indeed, they say that never
/ until after the Klondike gold diseoveries
/ we're made ID 1855 dld the British Govern
ment take up tha question seriouslv
They admit that la 1888 attention WI
sailed 10 the elaim Of the Britisf s-sv
ernEaent that tbs ten league strip extend
~ emily from tho main waters OF the
t@4tF A