The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-03-30
SEEKS A METHOD
OF RETALIATION
VIII Strike Back If Canada
Extends Coastwlse Ship
ping Law.
Globe Special Washington Service,
1df7 n C$raa&


14f7 G Street.
WASHINGTON, D. c., March 90
It Is believed that the Washington
government viii retaliate sharply
against Canada in case it turns out
that the recent Canadian order in
council relating to the transportation
of goods from one Canadian port to
another is made to apply TO the Pa
ciflc coast. The shipping interests of
Puget sound are naturally much in
terested In the matter, for the order
from Ottawa hits them hard In what
way the United States viii retaliate
is not yet made clear, but it is pretty
certain that the government viii find
a way to strike back.
Heretofore, the Canadian coastwise
law has been much less sweeping In
It's effects than the coastwise law OF
the United States. The Canadian law
has applied only to the transportation
of passengers and freight through the
inland waters Of the Dominion; that
is, it was only in waters which are
within the Jurisdiction of Canada that
the rule of carrying goods in British
bottoms exclusively was enforced. In
the United States, on the other hand.
the law applies broadly to all mer-
chandise shipped between one Amer
lean port and another. AS the name
implies, the coastwise law was orig
inally meant to apply to ports on the
coast of the United States. Suisse
quently, however, the law was made to
apply to ports in our inSular possess
sions, as well, and of course it applies
to Alaska. Now it is proposed to ex-
tend it even to the Philippine islands.
The Canadians have evidently made
up their minds to carry their own pas
sengers and freight in their own ships,
and this is no more than the United
States has done for many years. New
ertheleSS, the order from Ottawa has
made great stir, and the treasury
department and the department of
commerce will probably find a way to
strike back.
One way is to prohibit the shipment
of freight from the ports of Washing
ton, Oregon and California to points
on the Yukon river in American ter
ritory by way of the White Pass and
Yukon railroad and steamship con-
nectionS. 1t is not generally known
that the law is being constantly vio-
lated in connection with this route to
Northeastern Alaska. Shipments over
this route are always in violation OF
our coasting law for the reason that
the White Pass railroad operates
British steamers only on the river be-
tween White Horse, the northern ter
minus of the road, and Dawson and
points on the Yukon in American ter
ritory. The coasting law of the United
States prohibits shipments from one
American port (for instance, Seattle)
to another American port (for in
stance, Eagle, Alaska) except In Amer
lean bottoms-either over the whole
distance or any part of the distance.
= Yet such shipments are constantly
being made, and the United States
government is deliberately winking at
this plain violation of law. The reason
for this overlooking of the statute is
that the government believes we gain
more than we lose by such action. 1t
makes business for our steamship
lines between Seattle and Skagway,
and it serves to place the Canadian
authorities in an attitude to grant us
small favors in return on the border
between Alaska and the northwest
possessions of the Dominion. If the
recent order Of the Canadian govern
ment- is enforced, however, 1t is not
unlikely that the laws will be enforced
in respect to shipments between Puget
sound and Yukon river points on the
American side.
Walter e. Clark.