Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-20
CANADIANS PROTEST
GreatlyDispleased With Alas
kan Boundary Decision.
REFUSE TO SIGN IT
THE TWO COMMISSIONERS MAKE
A STATEMENT.
With the Exception of Two Urimport
ant Islands This Country
Gets All Asked.

LONDON. October 20.-In consequence of
the attitude maintained by the Canadian
commissioners. Lord Chief Justice Alver-
stone decided this morning rot to hold the
proposed public meeting of the Alaskan
boundary commission but to hand it's de-
Cison 10 McssrS. Foster and Sifton, re-
speCtivc agents of the American and Cana
dian governments
The Canadian commissioners not only de-
clined to sign the award, but said they
would publicly withdraw from the commits
sion. They. ven all the Canadians con-
nected with the case. are very litter. Tele-
grams from Premier Laurier and other
prominent persons in Canada show that
this sentiment is shared generally through
out the, dominion.
Two Important Islands Ceded.
The award relating to the Portland canal
gives the United States two islands, Kan
naghunut and Sitklan, commanding the en-
trance of the Portland channel and the
ocean passage to Port Simpson, and de-
stroying the strategic value of Wales and
Pearse islands. which are given to Canada.
The mountain line adopted as the boun-
dairy lies so far from the coast as to give
the United States substantially all the ter
rltory in dispute. The line completely
clears all the bays and inlets and means of
access to the sea, giving the United States
complete land barrier between Canada
and the sea, from the Portland canal to
Mount St Elias
=, Around the head of the Lynn canal the
line follows the water shed, somewhat in
accordance with the present provisional
boundary.
Say It Was Not a Judicial Decision.
Messrs. Jette and Aylesworth the Can
adam commissioners, in a statement of
their reasons for refusing to sign the
award. say they consider the findings of
the tribunal regarding the islands, at the
entrance of Portland channel and the
mountain line, is not a judicial one. They
add:
We urged our views as strongly as we
were able but have been compelled to
witness the sacrifice of the interests of
Canada. We We're powerless to prevent it,
though satisfied that the course which the
majority determined to pursue in re-
srect to the matters above specially re-
ferred to ignored the just rights of Can
ada"
Messrs. AyleswOrth and Jette will sub
NIT their contrary opinions to the tribunal,
so as to go officially on record and while
they declined to sign the award they
signed the maps agreed by the ma
Jority.
The engrossed copy of the Alaskan award
was signed at 2:1O pm. The Canadians
declined to sign the award as previously
Cabled 10 the Associated Press.
Surprise to the Public.
The change in the Alaskan procedure due
TO Lord Alverstone's decision not to hold
the proposed public meeting and to hand
the tribunals decision TO the American and
Canadian government agents. caused much
astonshnent among the people who crowd
ed the corridors adjoining the waiting
rooms. Ambassador Choate, well the
canadians and others Immediately connect
ed with the case, We're admitted to the
room where the tribunal had been holding
the open sessions, but the commissioners re-
manned closeted in the cabinet room. The
secretary of the commission. Reginald T.
Tower, finally emerged and informed the
waiting crowd that no public session would
be held, and that the award would be made
public through the agents. No explanation
was offered. and but few persons knew that
the attitude of the Canadian commissioners
was responsible for the awkward change.
The Canadians feel very sore over the
outcome. They almost openly accuse Lord
A1verstone of partisanship. When the lat
ter presented them to King Edward at
buckingham Palace yesterday the king en-
deavOred va My TO induce MessrS. Jette and
Aylesworth to say they were satisfied or
that they accepted the situation, but the
two Canadians declined to in any way ex-
LSess acquiescence with this view. They
imply shook hands formally and bowed
<.ne OF the Canadian commissioners after
Verd said to representative of the AsSo-
0Eted Press:
This award affects much more the rela-
tiOns between the dominion and the mother
country than people here seem to realize
and almost marks the parting of the ways
at least so far rs leaving any, such question
FOR England TO decide for u.s.