The Washington herald., 1910-05-15
QUEBEC In FAVOR
OF TRADING STRIP
Mother CityOf Canada Wants
Alaska Panhandle.
WING TO MAKE EXCHANGE
Board of Trade Thanks Writer and
The Washington Herald for Ar
ticIe of February G-History of the
Panhandle BOundnry-Nnst POssi-
biIities OF Country Behind IL.

The Washington Herald printed an ar
ticle from the pen Of Dr.. Robert stein on
February 6 under the title Alaska Pan
handle-a Flagrant Geographic Absurd
ity.' The Panhandle is the strip inter
venlng between northern British Colum-
bIa and the Pacific In the interest
Of international good feeling the writer
urged that the district IN question, which
has long been a source OF irritation be-
tween this country and Canada, be eX-
changed for an equivalent strip OF terri
tory along the eastern boundary OF the
Alaskan mainland The suggestion has
borne fruit I'm the form OF a letter from
the Quebec board Of trade 20 Dr. Stein.
dated April %, which reads in part. as
follows:
I'VE have read with keen interest the
article Alaska Panhandle - a Flagrant
Geographic Absurdity.' which appeared
in Ths Washington Herald, and we feel
convinced that we express the sentiments
Of many Canadian people in thanking
you for the eminent service which you
have rendered 10 our country IN publish
ing that article We feel confident that
the solution proposed by you would be
satisfactory to our people
Two conditions are suggested as likely
20 facilitate the exchange:
81 Tha, frso trade shall continue frr a u1mhcT o'
years between The Panhandle. and your Pac.d-
coast.
"2 That Canada arrec % build railway from The
Grand Trunk uCrv,stward into the Yukon valley
within "a reasonable time. with branch line t0
every important Toiut IN the Panhandle
I'VE are not authorized 10 speak for
the Canadian government but we have
no hesitation in saying that Tor our own
part, from a commercial point Of view
we should welcome the second OF these
conditions. The suggested railway Will
not really be needed FOR many years 20
come, bat I'm order 20 gain control OF the
coast we should be glad 20 sec that rail-
way built forthwith That would IN
crease the value Of real estate I'm the
Panhandle four fold. perhaps ten fold.
within ten years and lead to an immense
expansion Of its trade with the United
States
The United States would then merely
have 70 build a railway through Copper
River Valley TO the Yukon and the houu-
dary On order 90 have aIl-raH connection
with the most important part OF your
valuable northern territory
You are aware. OF course. that the
boundary characterized by you as q geo
graphic ahsurdity' was not absurd when
first laid down, but that the absgrd.ty
consists in maintaining it after tho rea-
sons FOR If have long passed away When
that boundary was agreed 90 between the
British and Russian governments. ln 1875
IL was simply intended % define the
spheres Of operation of two FUR compa-
nies. The Russian company dealt only
with the natives along the coast OF the
present Panhandle. and its relations
were with siberia; the Hudson Bay Com
pany dealt with the natives Of the in
terror. and It's relations were with Eu-
rope through Hudson Bay
Thus the diplomats of that day IN Law
ing down that boundary acted with rer-
feet good judgment. Had some one point
cd out 20 them that they were creating a
condition which might be embarrassing
20 future generations they might very
properly have replied. Our business is 20
solve the problem which confronts us
now. If the result OF our work proves
embarrassing 10 future generations, we
can only hope that they will have sense
enough 20 correct u and not % treat a
piece or paper as an unaItorabIe law OF
nature II is for us. their successors, 10
show the same good Judgment I'm dealing
with the problem as It now exists.
At a moderate estimate the country
which depends on the Panhandle for its
outlets 10 the sea IS about $4,000 square
miles I'm extent, five times as large az
Great Britain It's climate is practically
the same as that OF Europe In the same
latitude II YOU study the isothermaI
lines in their course around the globe. as
well as the lines marking the limits OF
various plants. YOU will find that I'm our
favored western provinces these lines run
as far north as in Europe Now. take
the map Of Europe and see what lies
north of latitude - degrees 80 minutes
You see it IS a slice OF Ireland. an Scot
land, a slice Of England. all Denmark.
Norway and Sweden. q slice Of Germany.
all Finland. and TIE best part Of Rus
sia. Within that belt are found the fol-
lowing .'t.es. with their populations:
I've -I-Loudonderry. 10000 Scotland
- Glasgow. $4,000, Edinburgh. Sol 600:
Dundee $4,000; Aberdeen, 1900 Eng
iand-Newcastlc. $1,000. Denmark-Copen-
hagen, $4,000. Norway-C -Christiania. 22S.-
6o0. Bergen. 1000. Sweden-Stockholm
$4,000: Gotcborg. l6l 600: Malmo. $4,000
Germany - Konigsberg. $4,000. Russia
St Pctershnrp 61S nna. Nnscnu- 90 nnn.