Iditarod pioneer., 1912-04-06
limited TRADES
In TERRITORY


far-reaching negotiations may be taken
up, wonderfully modifying the relations
between the United States and Canada.
between this country and Great Brit
ain and between Canada and its mother
country. Mexico is also concerned.
The situation in Arizona is that it
cannot utilize its arid lands without
possessing the mouth of the Colorado
river, which flows into the Gulf of
california; al its head, passing through
a port ion of the Mexican province of
Sonora, ar arid desert, but, with irr-
CATION. potentially fertile. Moreover,
| Arizona would be independent of the
railroads TO great extent if it ros-
sessed seaport. A seaport would
! give it a great impetus in trade. Ari-
IONA would like to buy that particular
strip of Sonora, but Mexico refused o
-ell an inch of It's land, even thou h
! IL be a deeerr, pracr ically uninhabired,
aUd points ouJ hat if Arizona acquires
| the Californian county of San Diego
| it will possess access to the sea.
While this is true, it does not solve
The problem of the Colorado river.
Hence it is proposed TO make
trade. Mexico is to give this parlicu-
lar strip of Sonora and the whole Of
| Lower California to the United States
in exchange for British Honduras,
Uncle Sam parttioning the newly ac
| quired territory between California
aud Arizona. the latter merely obtain
ing new county, Sonora.
Now the area of Lower California
and the strip of Sonora wanted is
| about $4,000 square miles. mostly arid.
with populai ion of $4,000. the trade
being a negligible quantity. British
! Honduras has an area OF S,59S square
miles, with ii population of 10, 1913 and
total foreign trade Of s., l63 597
| 19lO.lD. This looks like good ex-
change for Mexico, and as British
| Honduras is Immediately conterminous
with its southern boundary and its
acquisition would also strengthen its
hold upon the rebellious province Of
Yucatan. Mexico would be likely to
consider such a bargain favorably.
But British Honduras has first to be
acquired. In exchange, this country
| has to offer the Panhandle of Alaska,
a strip of country east of the 14lSt
meridian, about 526 miles long and
! from 5 to - miles in width, about
| 10000 square miles in area, with a
population of about 10000, and u trade
which does not originate there, oeyond
the domestic needs of these inhabit-
ants. From the point of view OF
exchange, therefore, that trade is
negligible On the other hand, its
possession by this country greatly
| hampers the opening up Of British
| Columbia and the Yukon. preventing
their access to tidewaler. The settle
ment of that dispute in favor of the
| United States caused much i'll feeling
in Canada which by no means is allayed.
| Hence Canada would be likely to make
some sacrifices, but not so great as TO
exchange four times the popUlltion
and 80 times the trade for nearly equal
areas of land. This is seen, and hence
the proposal is taking a wider scope.
| It is proposed TO exchange he whole
of Alaska for British Honduras ard
the whole of the British West IOdies,
with the exception of Jamaica and
Barbados. This would give the United
States string of possessions extending
from the coast of Florida to that Of
Venezuela, which, if purchases were
made here and there from other Euro
pean nations, would present q barrier
TO the Gulf of Mexico which could not
be passed by any foreign navy, if the
strategic points were fortified.
Now Alaska has an area of 59o,8
! square miles. much Of which is within
the Arctic circle. The British pos
sessions have total area of l4,732
square miles, mostly cultivable. The
population of Alaska is g. 56; that of
the British possessions is 9l8.T5 The
trade of Alaska, exclusive of its gold
eports, which are $l6,000,000 is under
$1,000 900; that of the British pos
sessions is $275.000 900. The domestic
trade of Alaska, however. is 500, 000,
, 900.
1t may be seen at a glance that no
such exchange is likely to be made.
1t may also be seen that mutual inter
ests demand an exchange, although it
is quite possible that the shrewd
Canuck, much as he would like to-
develop British Columbia and the
Yukon, would not give up the British
West Indies, for the control OF which
he has been negotiating with the home
governmet for some years past.