The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-10-18
mo AMERICAN HAS LOST
And We Shall Get All the Rich Water
ways to the Rich Alaskan Territory
With the Exception Of the Portland
Canal, the One Outlet That Canada
Holds.
(Bv de Associated Press. J


London, Oct 1.-The Alaska Boundary
Commission today reached an agreement
whereby all the American contentious are
sustained, with the exception of those
in relation to the Portland Canal, which
Canada wins All that now remains to
be done is for the commissioners to ak
their signatures to the decision and com
plete the map which will accompany It,
On the map will be marked the boundary
line definitely fixing the division of Amerl-
can and British territory, on such basis
that no American citizen will lose foot
of land he already believed he held, while
the United States will get all the water
ways to the rich Alaskan territory, with
the exception of the Portland Canal,
which gives Canada the one outlet she
so much needed
The long standing dispute was only set
tied after week of keen, trying secret
deliberation between the arbitrator.
Even up to noon today there was ali
acute possibility that disagreement
might result and the whole proceedings
fall to the ground Lord Alverstona,
though openly inclined to believe in the
justice of the American argument; that
the United States was entitled to the
heads of inlets, as contained in question
five, held out that Canada had established
her case in questions two and three, deal
ing with the Portland Canal.
After luncheon, Senator Lodge. Secre-
tary Root and Senator Turner agreed 20
cede those points and TO start the Ameri-
can boundary line from the head of the
Portland Canal, thus giving the Canadians
that channel and some small islands. ON
which there are only a few disused store
houses. This accomplished. the majority
of the tribunal agreed to fix, with this
exception, the entire boundary as out
lined in the American. Whether Messrs
Aylesworth and Jet, the Canadian COM
missioners, viii refuse to sign the decision,
and make it unanimous, is not yet known
but it will not affect the validity OF the
agreement if a minority report is sub
mltted BY Monday afternoon it is hoped
that everything will be ready for sigma,
ture, though the actual marking of the
lire on the map which shall forever dc
termine the respective territories will &C.
cupy some time.
The majority of the commissioners left
the Foreign Office hurriedIy this after
noon IN order to catch trains for weekend
visits TO the country. Nothing had occur
red which would lead the few onlookets
even TO suspect that the dispute had
reached its practical end. The commits
sloEers themselves are still bound to Sc
crecy until the decision is actually render
ed, and practically few others were really
aware how great degree of success had
attended the efforts of the American mem
bers of the tribunal
Washington, Oct. 1.-THE Associated
Press dispatch from London announcing
the decision of the Alaskan Boundary
| Commission was the first intimation re-
celved by the State Department that the
commission had reached an agreement.
The State Department officials says that
the statement shows a distinct victory
for the United States. It is their opinion
that the effect of the decision regarding
the Portland Canal merely gives TO Canada
the possession Of Pearse Island a small
island in the Portland Canal. and Of no
/ special Importance. This detail of the
| controversy is admitted by State Depart.
ment officials to have been open to argu-
ment on both sides.
CdiSc lSiduO II di ttlP mouth OF JHe
canal. The latter is divided into two
canals by the island, and Canada formerly
had undispGted use of the eastern char
mel. Under the present decision Canada
will have the use of the western channel
Ottawa, Ont, Oct 1.-THE Canadian
government he's not yet received official
notification of the proposed decision in
the Alaska Boundary case. If the deer
sion is as reported, namely. that Portland
| Canal is to remain in Canadian territory
there is feeling in official circles that
the Dominion has not much to be thank
full for. Canada, in holding the Portland
Canal. retains Wales and Pearse Islands,
which overlook Port Simpson the pro-
posed terminus of the Grand Trunk Pa
clfic. 1t would be inconvenient to have
lost these islands. but as they were clear
ly marked on Vancouvers map as being
in Canada. it is difficult to see how this
could have been done. North of Port
Simpson, Canada viii have no harbor or
no outlet on the Pacific Coast from the
Yukon gold fields.