The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1903-12-11

groWing American interests In regions
| tne-etolore unsurveyed and impe rfectly
known brought into prominence the urgent
necessity OF practical demarcation OF the
boundaries between the Jurisdictions OF
the United states ard Great Britain. AL
,hough the treaty Of 1926 between Great
britain ana Russia the provis ions Of which
were copied In the treaty OF 1867, whereby
Russia conveyed Alaska TO the United
states was positive as 10 tho control. first
by RUSSIA ana later by the United States.
OF a strip OF territory along the continental
mainland from the western shore OF Port
.and canal 70 Mount 81: Elias. following
ana surrounding the indentations OF the
coast and including the Islands 10 the west :
ward. rs description OF the landward mar
gin OF the strip was Indefinite. resting on
The supposed existence Of a continuous
ridge or range OF mountains skirting the
coast, as figured in the charts Of the early
navigators. IL had at no time been possible
TOT either party in Interest 10 lay down,
under the authority OF the treaty, a line
50 obviously exact according to its 2rovi-
SONS as TO command the assent ~ the
After unavailing attempts 10 reach an
| understanding through n joint high COM
miss ION. followed by prolonged negotia-
convention between the United States and
Great Britain was signed January "a 1903
providing for an examination Of the sub
I Ject by a mixed tribunal OF Xix members
three on a side. with a view TO It's final dis
position. Publications were exchanged on
March last. whereupon the two govern
Those on behalf of the United States were
Ehhu Root. secretary of War; Henry
sabot Lodge; a senator OF the United
states. and George Turner an ex-senator
OF the United States. while Great Britain
named the Right Honorable Lord Aver
stone, lord chief justice OF England; Sir
Louis Afnable Jette, X. G.. NJ G., retired
Judge OF the supreme court of Quebec. and
| A. IL. Aylesworth, X. c.. of Toronto. This
tribunal met in London on September 3.
under the presidency OF Lord Aiverstone.
The proceedings were expeditions. and
marked by a friendly and conscientious
/ spirit The respective cases, counter cases
and arguments presented the issues clear
| ~ and fully On the Goth OF October a ma
jority OF the tribunal reached and signed
an agreement on all the questions submit
| ted by the terms OF the convention. BY
this award the right OF the United States
| TO the control of Z continuous strip or bor-
| der OF the mainland shore skirtlng all the
Underwater inletS and sinuosites OF the
coast, is confirmed. the entrance to Port
land canal concerning which legitimate
doubt appeared) IL defined as passing by
4 Tongass inlet and TO the northwestward OF
! Wales and Pearse Islands, a line is drawn
| from the head OF Portland canal 10 the
fiy-sixth degree OF north latitude; and
the interior border line OF the strip is fixed
4 by lines connecting certain mountain sum
mits lying between Portland canal ard
Mount St Elias, and running along the
4 crest of the divide separating the coast
slope from the inland watershed at the
only part OF the frontier where Ire drain
age 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
Its branches.
The award is self-executfng on the vital
| points To make II effective as regards
4 the others II only remains for the two
/ governments to appoint each on Its own
behalf, one or more scientific experts.
who shall. with all convenient speed, pro-
coed together to lay down the boundary
4 line in accordance with the decision OF
the majority OF the tribunal. ! recon-
mend that the congress make adequate
provision for the appointment. compen-
satlon and expenses OF the members to
serve on this joint boundary commits
sion on the part OF the United States
Claims Against Venezuela.
! II VIII be remembered that during the
second session of the last congress Great
Britain Germany and Italy formed an
alliance for the purpose OF blockadlng
the ports OF Venezuela and using such
other means of pressure as would secure
a settlement OF claims due. as they al
legged. TO certain OF their subjects. Their
employment of force for the collection Of
these claims was terminated by an agree
ment brought about through the Offices
OF the diplomatic representatives OF the
I United States at Caracas and the gov
eminent at Washington, thereby ending
| situation which was bound to cause
increasing friction. and which jeoparded
| the peace OF the continent Under this
agreement Venezuela agreed TO set apart
a certain percentage OF the customs re-
ceipts OF two OF her ports to be applied
70 the payment of whatever obligations
might be asce-tained by mixed commits
sions appointed for that purpose to be
due from her. not only to the three pow
ers already mentioned. whose proceed
lngs against her had resulted In state OF
war, but also to the United States, France,
Spain. Belgium. the Netherlands Sweden
and Norway. and Mexico. who had not
employed force for the collection OF the
claims alleged to be due TO certain Of
their citizens.
A demand was then made by the So
called blockading powers that the sums
ascertained to be due TO their citizens by
such mixed commission should be accord
ed payment in full before anything was
paid upon the claims q any Of the So
called peace powers. Venezuela. on the
other ha nd. insisted that all her creditors
equality. During the efforts TO adjust
this dispute IL was suggested by the pow
ers In interest that II should be referred
to me for decision. but I was clearly
OF the opinion that far wiser course
would be 10 submit the question TO the
permanent court OF arbitration Mt The
Hague 1t seemed 10 me TO offer an adj
mirable opportunity TO advance the prac-
tice OF the peaceful settlement of dis
putes between nations and to secure for
The Hague tribunal a memorable IN
nations interested in the controversy
were so numerous. and in many instances
powerful as TO make IL evident that
beneficert results would follow from
their appearance at the same time before
the bar OF that august tribunal OF peace
Our hopes In that regard have been real
ize6 Russia and Austria are repre- scented
In the persons OF the learned and distIn-
guished jurlsts who compose the tribunal
while Great Britain. Germany. France,
Spain. Italy. Belgium. the Netherlands
Sweden and Norway. Mexico. the United
States and Venezuela are represented by
their respective agents and counsel. Such
an imposing concourse OF nations present
ing their arguments to and invoking the
decision OF that high court OF international
justice and international peace can hardly
fail to secure a like submission OF many
future controversies. The nations now APP
pearing there will find II far easier to APP
pear there second time. while no nation
can imagine Its just pride will be iessened
by following the example now presented.
This triumph OF the principle OF interna-
tiona, arbitration Is a subject OF warm con-
graduation and offers happy augury for
the peace OF the world.
Relations with Turkey.
Early in July. having received inselli-
gence. which happily turned out TO be
erroneous, of the assassinatioU OF our vice
consul at Beirut. l dispatched a small
squadron 70 that port for such service as
might be found necessary on arrival. Al
though the attempt on the life Of our vice
consul had not been successful yet the
outrage was symptomatic Of a state OF
excitement and disorder which demanded
immediate attention. The arrival OF the