Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-03
ALASKAN COMMISSION
First Meeting to Fix Bound
ary Held Today.
ALVERSTONE PRESIDES
IN CONFERENCE ROOM OF THE
FOREIGN OFFICE.
Documents Covering American Side of
Case Comprise Three Volumes
of LOO Pages.

LONDON, September 3.-The Alaskan
boundary commissioners held their first
meeting today in the conference room Of
the foreign office.
Prior to the formal assembling the COM
missioners met in their private conference
room and selected Reginald T. Tower Of
the British diplomatic service, formerly at
tached to the legation at Washington and
recently minister to Siam, to be secretary
of the commission j. r. Carter, second
secretary of the United States embassy,
and Mr.. Pope, a representative of the
Canadian government. were appointed as
sistant secretaries Lord Chief Justice
Alvers tone was subsequently chosen CHAIR
man of the commission.
1t was announced that oral arguments
would commence September 10, and Lord
Alverstone expressed the hope that they
would be finished by October 9.
Where Commissioners Meet.
The conference room of the foreign office
where the commission met, is the choicest
apartment in the British public buildings.
I; is magnificent salon, with Gothic cell
ing and paneled walls, and has been the
scene of many notable gatherings.
1t was generally used by the late Lady
late Lord Salispury's dinners to the Dip
lomatc corps. At the end of the room a
platform had been constructed. and on 1t
was a long desk. with blue covering.
Behind this desk were six comfortable
chairs, which were occupied by the COM
missioners. whose interna tional regulations
emphasized the Importance of the occasion.
El;hu Root and Lord Alverstone sat in The
center. Separate tables We're provided Tor
counsel.
Canadians First to Arrive.
Canadian counsel were the first to arrive
in the chamber. They were followed by
John w. Foster. former Secretary of State,
and his assistants, who were accompanied
by Ambassador Choate. The commission
ers came in a few minutes later and i'm
media tely began a private conference,
which resulted in the selection of the offl-
GERS and at which they exchanged creden-
tials and took the oath required by the
treaty.
A few minutes after II o'clock the COM
mission took their seats, Senator Turner on
the extreme right. then Prof. Sir Louis
Jette, formerly of the superior court of
of Quebec and professor of civil law: Mr..
Root, Lord Alverstone, Senator Lodge, A.
B. Aylesworth who succeeds the late JUS
tce Armour of Canada on the commission;
Mr.. Foster and Clifford Sifton. Canadian
minister of the interior.
LOIu hlVCISIOucS AuduhS
The agents of the respective governments
sat at desks on the extreme right and left
of the commission, while counsel and the
stenographers occupied desks facing the
commissioners.
Lord Alverstone, after formally announc-
ing that the commission was in session,
stating that he had been selected as presi-
dent, an honor which he highly appreciated,
asked counsel when they desired to begin
the oral arguments.
Sir Robert b. Finlay, the attorney gen
eral, in behalf of the British counsel, sug-
gested that at least two weeks would be
required for preparation, to which Judge
John NJ. Dickinson, representing the Ameit-
can counsel, assented though he said The
American counsel would be ready IN a
week.
Lord Alverstone asked when the oral
guments would be finished, and Attorney
General Finlay suggested October 49, but
his lordshp remarked that he thought
shorter period was advisable, and October
was fixed upon.
Will Sit Five Days a Week.
The commission decided to sit five days
per week commencing September 10 and
excluding Saturdays. and to be in session
from IL am. to 4 pm. daily, and granted
permission for limited number of repIe-
sentat tives of the press to attend the sit
tingS.
In order that the presentation of the
cases may be exhaustive, it has been ar
ranged that three of counsel for each gov
ernment shall make arguments the British
opening and being allowed alternately
by Americans and British, the former Sc
curing the advantage of delivering The
closing argument.
The commission then removed The m
junction of secrecy on all documents hith-
erto exchanged and the sitting was ad-
journed the commissioners, agents ard
counsel proceeding to the quadrangle,
where they were photographed
The Case of the United States.
The documents covering the American
presentation of the case are comprised in
three volumes, making a total of about
1.1OO pages, and there are in addition two
volumes of maps. The principal contentious
of this government are contained in the
largest of the three volumes of text which
Ia designated as 1.-The case of the United
States" This volume contains the original
statement in behalf of this country. The
second largest volume includes the presen-
tation of the counter case of the United
States. while the third and smallest vol
ume consisting of about 225 pages, is de-
voted to the argument in support of the
claims made in the first volume.
In presenting the case of the United States
the representatives of the United States
recte the points contained in the treaty
between the United States and Great Brit
ain of January a. 1903, and then pass
speedily into review of the facts bearing
upon the entire controversy. This review
is contained under the following headings:
% The historical facts concerning the
northwest coast of America prior to 1921
which led up to the controversy Of Russia
with the United States and Great Britain
() The diplomatic negotiations between
the three nations, which eliminated in the
treaties of 1924 and 1925.
() The result Of these negotiations.
90 The negotiations between the United
States and Russia. following the expiration
of the reciprocal trade privilege granted
by the treaty of 1924.
90 The occupation of the territory by
Russia up to the year 1867.
60 The cession Of Alaska to the United
States in 1867. and the universally accepted
interp of the treaty provisions de-
limiting the boundary prior to and at the
time of the cession.
O The complete, continuous and undis
turbed, occupation OF the territory by the
United States since the cession from Rus
STA. - -'1'
Points Requiring Decision.
The points upon which a decision is re-
Continued on Eleventh Page)