The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-10-18
VICTORY FOR UNCLE SAM.
State Department officials Pleased
With the Result.

State Department officials Pleased
With the Result.
! Washington, Oct. 1.-THE Associated
! Press bulletin from London announC-
I ing the decision of the Alaskan boun-
! dary commission was the first intima-
UOn received by the state department
that the commission had reached an
: agreement. Although the bulletin
I from London is exceedingly brief state
! department officials say that it shows
| a distinct victory for the United States.
( IL is their opinion that the effect of the
! decision regarding the Portland canal
I merely gives to Canada the possession
/ OF Pearse island, a small island in the
I Portland canal, and of no special i'm
portance. This detail of the contrOver-
sy is admitted by state department Of
4 ficials to have been open to argument
| on both sides
! Pearse island is at the mouth of the
canal The latter is divided into two
/ canals by the island. and Canada for
! merry had UndispUted use of the east
ern channel. Under the present deci-
] sion Canada viii have the use of the
4 western channel.
Decision Monday.
/ Secretary Hay tonight received a ca
/ blegram from London announcing that
I the Alaskan boundary commission ex-
L
Monday but that no final agreement
had been reached. No further details
Of the cablegram were given out.
} Commenting on the Associated Press
dispatches, a high administration Off
cial said.
While the Alaskan boundary COM
mission has not handed down a formal
decision, the Associated Press an
lnouncement NAV be taken as a correct
( forecast Of the nature of the decision,
which Will be probably made public on
Monday The contention Of the United
states regarding the Portland canal
was the weakest part of the American
case, and the strongest point in the Ca
I madam contention. Ii Is but a minor
detail Of the controversy. The Cana
dams contended that the Portland canal
ran TO the north of two small Islands:
1 the American contention was that the
channel ran alongside Of these islands.
On this point there was ground for ar
gument Pearse island and the other
\ small island are both of little or no i'm
portance and their acquisition gives
| canada practically no additional ad-
vantage The decision of the Alaska
f. boundary commission rendered along
the lines indicated by the Associated
Fress VIII be a complete victory for the
United States"
State department officials naturally
are profoundly gratifed that an agree
ment has been reached favorable to
the American contention.
Boundary Unchanged.
As was pointed out tonight by a high
official, the decision is a complete JUS
uhcation Of our claims, an evidence Of
the skill with which the American case
has been presented. and a tribute to the
fairness and broadmindednes of the
British member of the commission.
Lord Chief Justice Alverstone"
The effect Of the decision. it is stated
here, is to leave the Alaskan boundary
practically where it is now. The main
point Of the Canadian contention in
Volved the outlet from the Klondike
gold fields at the head of Lynn canal
including the ports of Skagway and
Dyea. through which the KIondike
business is transacted. These ports re-
main American territory. The de-
cision is taken TO COncede the American
claim TO a strip Of territory ten leagues
in width from tidewater and extending
from the head Of Portland canal to the
last meridian Of west longitude. The
Americans laid especial stress upOn
their contention that this strip should
be measured from the heads of estu-
aries or bays, while the Canadians ar
gued that the measurements should be
from the main water OF the ocean The
control Of the sites Of Skagwav and
Dyea was involved in the controversy.