Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-03

PSSiok SthAlSiucIAUOu, a0o II Is BuOWu uVOu
the evidence Of nu:Axous geoeraphers and
photographers that there IL no such noun
tain range as has been commended for and
that the contention Of the United States
with reference to the use Of the word
coast Is reasonable and in accord with
the facts Of history. 1t Is asserted that:
Russia showed by her occupation and ex-
ercfse OF sovereignty over the waters and
coasts in dispute that she claimed them as
within her territory and that Great Britain
never. down to the sale by Russia to the
United States. attempted to assert any
jurisdiction over such waters or coast. or
to occupy them in any way. or to question
the sovereignty Of Russia over them: that
from 1910 to the American purchase the
waters and coasts in dispute for Russia:
that this holding was begun and continued
with the knowledge and consent of Great
Britain. which thereby indicated that she
understood that under the treaty Of 1925
they were to belong to Russia, and that the
United States purchased Alaska with the
understanding on its part and with the
knowledge Of the understanding indicated
by the conduct Of Great Britain that Russia
under the treaty Of 1925 owned all Of tho
waters and coast now in dispute. and has
held them with that understanding without
any protest from Great Britain down to
the beginning Of the present controversy"
The Gold Discoveries.
Considerable space is given in the arsu-
ment to the part played by the Klondike
SoAA uASCOtoSAcS IN AIOu8lH& Treat 6EzI6ln
| interest in the controversy. On this point
1t Is stated that the discovery OF gold in the
Yukon territory in 1890 attracted many
persons to the Klondike region 1.-THE nat
uraI pathway" say the commissioners, ''for
them was from the Pacific ocean up
through Lynn canal over the Chilkat and
Chilkoot passes and thence into the terri
tory of Great Britain. Along this route
thousands Of miners passed. The ports al
the head of Lynn canal at once assumed
large commercial Importance 1t was not
until after this that any question was off,
cially raised as to the boundary line be-
tween Alaska and Canada extending around
the heads Of the bays and inlets. Although
individual citizens Of Canada had at times
advanced the theory that the treaty of 1925
should be so interpreted as to run the
boundary line along the submits Of noun
tains claimed to be parallel to the general
heads OF the bays and inlets in British ter
ritory. such claim was never put forward
| by Great Britain until 1898"
The British case in It's reference to the
Klondike rush Of 1897 is quoted az saying:
Many stopped at Dyea and Skagway.
while others pushed on over the passes to
the gold fields BY this movement Of travel
Dyea and Skagway came into existence"
Replying to this assertion, counsel for the
American commissioners say that q trading
place was established at Dyea by an Amer
lean as early as 1888. and that 1t was never
abandoned. They also assert that the town
site OF Skagway was located by Americans
in 1883. Furthermore, they claim that for
many years prior to 1897 the Jurisdiction Of
where those towns were subsequently es-
tablfshed- They also set forth that the
revenue laws Of the United States had been
extended to all Of that territory in 1885, and
tnat this jurisdiction had never been ques-
toned. Reference is also made to the fact
that In 1880 all foreign vessels were forbid
den to unload at Chiikat
Inc following Is also quoted from the
lot
IN force. Notwithstanding that Canada's
claim to the territories at the head Of Lynn
canal n,sa was ... at the time wei! known to the
This say the Americans fatty. rs q
gratuitous assertion" They continue:
There Is no proof to sustain 1t. Canada
never put forward any such claim to the
in 1893 by Great Britain before the joint
high commission. It Is said on page 95 that
II the Canadian government had instructed
lions there would have been grave danger
of serious collision There would un-
doubleday have been collision, just as
certainly as ii they had been Instructed to
disregard the regulations at the port of
New York. The head OF Lynn canal had
for thirty years been under tho unaues-
toned jurisdiction Of the United States"
Referring to an allegation on the part
Of the British government that a reserva-
ton was made by a commissioner Of Gus
toms on behalf of Great Britain when the
Chtcu 0ldtcS pTOpOSSQ 10 make g. bort or
entry at Dyea. the commissioners say that
1T is uncomfortable that either party had
IN mind any reservation as to Dyea, and
certainly neither Of them had any authority
In the premises" The report then pro-
ceeds: "On this slender basis the British
case builds an imposing superstructure and
discusses 1t as a grave diplomatic treat
ment OF the boundary question. It says
that the objective point referred to in the
first Canadian communication Is the Yukon
frontier. no special locality being men
toned. A communication intended to have
such fruitful results those now con-
tended for should have been so framed as
to give person of ordinary intelligence
some conception Of its purpose" Contin-
ing assertions are made: There was no
question of agreement or compact. There
was no reason for the United States to
agree except to accommodate Canada.
There was nothing but a favor in the trans
action. 1t was not bargain. There was
nothing reciprocal. It made no difference
to the United States whether 1t suited the
commissioner except In so far as 1t wanted
to be generous. A mere matter Of grace
should not be tortured into q formal COM
pact affecting Dyea's relations to the boun-
dairy.
The Conclusion.
The argument concludes as follows: 1T
is respectfully submitted that 1t has been
conclusively shown that for over seventy
years before the present claim Of Great
Britain was preferred Russia and the
United States have exercised jurisdiction
over the waters and coasts In dispute; that
throughout that period Great Britain never
sought In any way to assert any sover-
eighty over any part of them: and that by
her official maps she concurred in the
claims made VIGOROUSLY and continuously
by the official maps Of Russia and the
United States that the boundary Line in dis
pute ran from the head of Portland canal
around the heads Of all the bays and in
let's