New-York tribune., 1909-09-19
Anglo-American Memories
Copyright. 1909, by George ". small.y,
SIS wlLFRD LAURIER AND THE A,Aer, .o,,.,....

-! an swept away and peace and GOOD feeling
7'e@''iSleo between her and her neighbor
Nahaolan friends must have been aware
Ii-0 'l4Ie mat they stood alone In their at
.'cAs on Lord Alve-stope they had no hsc.ine
N england. No English newspaper ever spg-
ses1eo that Lord Alverstone had voted otherwise
.---' -. ulhs 70 his conscience. England knew
nm 20 be lncorruptible and unassailabIe ana
-+. at the suggestion that he did not under
staho the Canadian claims II was hAoausa hA
understood them that he decided ass,nst 1I,a,,
The English. it is true have tbopgb, +bar,-
serves unlucky in arbitrations, and have fauo,
mo the haoit Of expecting an adverse decision
.ioIA an arbitration tribunal The Geneva tri-
ouH@l 4nstiI!ed into them that reluctant expec-
'at'on- But as this was not an arbitration bpt
SIMPLY Commission for determining the true
'ouI'oaFy line OF Alaska, they accented in
sporting spirit the judgment Of their own LORD
- go 'usuce. How could they do otherwise?
ne constitution OF the tribunal, and on the
Claims OF Senator Lodge and Senator Turra~ -
be impartial. they had remarks - roaIra ~
partial? ii'i'
There can be no harm now in saving that sir
Wlirld looked upon the Alaskan situation with
sioohly torebodings So did everybody on horh
sues oL me border--eveTybody who understood
me SITUATION and would give himself the trouble
- 'Iihk' and had sense of responsibility In
The disputed belt Of territory-Alasl,an tarri+or1-
when the United States claimed ana Canada
ciaimed-gold might at any moment be discov
e.eo- There would come rush from both sides
-" al know what the gold miners area rough
lot. not always recognizing any law but the Law,
O 'he strongest and the most covetous They
make laws for themselves and even those thev
of
ruined many outlaws; man. have no other hope
'han IN finding gold somewhere and getting it
anyhow. They are all armed. Revolvers are
'he aroltrators whose decisions they respect In
me presence Of new found gold. what are
DouhoSTles or titles or International relations
Inevitably they would cross the border into the
debatable land. Canadians and Americans alike
W nat would the flag mean to bankrupt gamblers
VINO saw once more the hope OF richeso There
would be disputes. There would be collisions
At any moment a shot u.ght be fred. and then
what: The risk was awful
This have 40 doubt was the risl, Sir yv,lfrid
had in mind 1t meant nothing less than tbe
possibility Of war between Great Britain and
the United States. Gold once discovered, the
possibility became a probability. Could a ca
madam statesman, could an American states
man. think Of that hazaE6 and not be willing
10 90 much, or even to concede much, in order
10 avert it? Yet Of all the men OF both na-
tionalities with whom. then and after. I had
talked about Alaska, Sir wilfrid alone had
clear view OF the danger. ana he alone was will
ing 70 90 what was absolutely necessary to make
war impossible. For that reason he stands forth
4 great patriot, great Canadian. a great Eng
!ishman. World wide as is his fame he deserves
greater It is not yet possible 20 do him full
justice. II may never be. But his views and
Uroposals and large wisdom as tnAy yyA-A ssf
forth II these conversations put him. in my
opinion, IN the very front rank OF statesmen OF
HIS time The impression they made on the
President and AIr. Hay was profound They.
too. we're statesmen. but taeig hands were tied
Il IS further 20 Be borne IN mind that the
Northwestern border wss in & ferrnent. That
great belt Of powerful states conterrninous with
Canada had long nursed its grievances. The
Alaska question did not stand alone. Il never
has There were questions Of duties. OF tariffs.
Of lumber rights. Of the rights of lake and canal
navigation. Of fisheries, Atlantic and Pacific,
and many others-thiFteeu spedhn subjects in
Al They had once been Bg bat settled. The
High Commissioners In the last conference at
Washington had come % terms on all but
alaska when, in an unlucky moment. LORD
HerscheN. believing lie could force the hand OF
the Americans. put forth ultirnatum out of
blue sky. It must be all or none. There must
be no settlement which does not include Alaska
Lord Ferscheu had been thought Of a conten-
tious mind all through. Americans bore with
that. but TO an ultnatum an agreement al the
mouth Of & gun. We would not submit So the
whole went of. What was the result? There
came time when Sir Wilfrid himself had to
announce that there would be no more Pilgrim
ages IN Washington. Nor have there been
G W 6