The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1903-02-17
Treaty Has Been Signed Between the
United States and Great Britain
TO Determine THE BOUNDARY
OF Alaska as 1t Was Represented to
Be When Purchased by This Gov.
eminent From Russia-Russia
Treaties Will Enter Largely Into
the Evidence.

Interest in the Alaskan boundary
controversy has been revived by the
signing of the treaty between the
United States and Great Britain, by
which the entire dispute is to be sub
mltted to arbitration by a joint COM
mission composed of three men NOM
mated by the United States, and the
same number selected by Great Brit
ain. AS each country has equal rep
resentation, in order to secure a de-
cision it will be necessary for one
party to win over one of the arbitra-
tors representing the other side. For
years Great Britain has been eager
to secure the submission of the dis
pute to commission, but the United
States steadfastly maintained that
there was nothing to arbitrate. This
country had purchased Alaska from
Russia in 1867, with certain defined
boundaries fixed by treaty between
Great Britain and Russia in 1925,
and refused to go back on that treaty
The point now to be established is
the proper Interpretation of that
treaty. Should the British contention
be sustained, Canada would be given
coast, and the United States holdings
from Lynn canal southwark would be
materially reduced.
If it can be aScertained what land
really belonged to Russia at the time
of the transfer, we shall know what
belongs to the United States today.
The treaty of 1925 fixes the line of
demarkation between the body of
Alaska and British Columbia, and
names Prince of Wales island as the
southern extremity Of the Russian
holdings. As to the long ragged strip
of coast line between this island and
the mass of the Alaskan mainland,
the treaty says: The line of denmark
alton shall follow the summit of the
mountains situated parallel to the
coast Continuing, the treaty says,
in article 4:
With reference to the line of de-
narration laid down in the preced
ing article, it is understood:
Il. That the island called Prince
to Russia.
That whenever the summit Of the
mountains which extend in direc-
ton parallel to the coast shall prove
TO be at the distance of more than
ten marine leagues from the ocean
the limit between the British posses
sions and the line of coast which is
tn l,n1 tn rcin oh
toned shall be formed by q line
parallel to the windings (sinuosities)
of the coast and which shall never
exceed the distance of 10 marine
leagues therefrom."
Con it's face, this means that the
boundary is to parallel the winding
contour of the coast at distance
not greater than ten leagues inland.
That was the meaning accepted by
Great Britain for many years and as
the Russo-Brtish negotiations of 1922,
1928 and 1924 plainly show, that was
the meeting insisted on by the Rus
sian diplomats. Not until 1898 did
Great Britain formally question the
treaty. Then it made it's present
claim, which is that the boundary is
not to be drawn parallel to the wind
ings of the coast, but to line leap
ing from heailand to headland across
all bays, inlets and fiords
At the time of the treaty of 1925,
Alaska was unexplored and nothing
was known Of the interior except
what was reported by whalers, who
described chain of mountains run
mig parallel with the coast at an av-
erage distance of 80 miles. It was
the intention of Russia, which was
conceded by England, to retain all
of the inlets and bays with which the
coast is indented. Modern explora-
ton however, has developed the fact
that there is no regular mountain
chain. The mountains are broken
and scattered in an irregular manner
all over the territory. The British
claim, therefore, that the boundary
should run from summit to summit
in the shortest direct line between
the mountains nearest the coast, re-
CARELESS of the stipulation which
gave Russia title to strip 10 marine
leagues wide. AS many of the noun
tains are only mile or two from the
coast by this construction of the trea-
ty the British would obtain control of
nearly all the best harbors and inlets,
including the greater part of Lynn ca
nal, which is the chief thoroughfare
to the Klondike and Skagway and
Dyea, the two American towns from
which all traffic to the Yukon starts.
Not only this, but nearly all of the
American settlements and the COM
plete control of the Yukon region
would be surrendered to Canada if
the demands of Great Britain are
granted.
The American contention is that
from the fifty.sixth to the one hun.