El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-09-22
AmericaHas Hague Tribunal
Boundary Water Dispute Between
Canada and United States is to
be Settled by a Commission.
4
r ASHINGTON, D. C., Sept.


has been called THE Hague Tribunal
in America" It's duties are to take up
matters of dispute relating to the wa
/ ter boundaries between the United
! States and Canada, with a view to set
! Ting them amicably and fairly. The
! commission was authorized by a treaty
| between the United States and Great
Britain. signed in Washington in 1909.
| The treaty provided that commission
| should be established consisting of six
members three to be appointed by the
president Of the United States and three
| by king George V. Its sessions are
| to be held alternately in Washington
and Ottawa and its expenses are to be
| borne equally by the two nations.
Boundary Waters In Dispute.
One of the first matters referred to
/ the joint commission was a study of the
! boundary waters between the two cOun-
| tries, especially those Immediately west
of the great lakes. Here a tableland
composes the northern part of Mime
sofa and the western part of Ontario
extending more than a hundred miles
on each side of the boundary. This ia
bleland IS the fountainhead of the
greatest river system of this CONT
nent, If not of the whole world. The
I land contains over 10000 lakes which
are sources or reservoirs for a perfect
network of small rivers. All of these
are tributary to larger streams sup
plying the water for the st. Louis river,
the principal tributary of Lake Su-
per1or, and also for the Mississippi, the
Red river of the north and Rainy river
This last is the chief inlet to the IA
nous Lake of the Woods, that has been
so long the subject of international
dispute The waters of these small
lakes and their outlets flow in all di-
rections
Because Of this peculiar land forma-
ton, waters which rise and flow upon
one side of the boundary may be tribu-
tary to a water system belonging
equally to the other side, and therefore
/ not to be disturbed without the consent
or the government of the other nation.
Lake Superior is 500 miles above sea
level This is the lowest part of this
water system The Lake of the Woods
IS 1000 feet above sea level, a rise of
400 feet Yet larger proportion of
the waters Of the region flow to the
Lake Of the Woods than toward Lake
superior The st. Louis river flows
INTO INTO Lake superior and furnishes the
water power for the city of Duluth.
Several years ago Duluth planned to in
crease this water power by connecting
the st Louis river with Birch lake a
small BODY OF water in the northern
part of Minnesota. But Birch lake was
the source Of a stream which was a
tributary Of Rainy river, the boundary
water between Minnesota and Ontario.
The utilization Of this water by Duluth
might therefore interfere with the nav
lgatlon and other industries of Rainy
river. Consequently. an injunction was
issued to restrain the state of Mime
sofa from tapping lake within its own
borders to supply the water needs of a
town in that state
Two Big Towns Interested.
Upon the other side, the city of Win
nipeg, with a population of over 200 900
had the permission of the Canadian
government to locate a municipal wa
ter power plant upon the Winnipeg
river, which is an outlet of the Lake of
the Woods This plant supplies the
power to light the city, the motive
power for the street railways and other
public interests. and is seemingly es-
sentlaI to the city's development. The
citizens of the United States had lust
cause for complaint because this utilf-
zauon OF boundary waters affects the
Supply OF water which they were equal.
~ o4ttled to. These two great cities
OF the southwest one in the United
States and one in British America, are /
more than 500 miles apart Yet they I
are contestinS for the use Of water 4
from the same system and any advan- |
tage given one will be at the expense 1
Of the other
The adjustment Of such water prob |
lens, with due regard to the interests 1
or each party might be a complex prob |
lem even If all were under one ma i
uonal Jurisdiction. When they coma |
under separate governments their adj !
Justment seems hopeless. A complaint /
upon sne part CT an American citizen /
came 11rsJ TO Washington, then was for /
warded to London, then to Ottawa for
iurther 1nforma non and then around 1
the ci-cUit again
The Canadian complaint took the on
poslte course but the result was hope
less for both No one was to blame /
because 10 one had any definite
KtLn o or authority to investigate
the matter fully. Each government
was thousands Of miles away from the
seat Of complaint
The appointment Of this joint COM
mission is great advance in the solu-
ton OF all problems which may come /
up Tor both nations. The residents on |
each side Of the boundary are. anxious /
% develop their common water power
Sutnorlty OF their own government. (
The fountainhead which supplies all !
boundary waters must be regarded as
International, whether it is located +
upon one side of the boundary or the I
other. Therefore, the United States
government cannot authorize the use OF
waters within its own borders when the
drainage of British territory is affected /
must be restrained when they conflict !
with the development Of American in
dustry affected by a common water
supply.
Meeting Held at KenOra.
The commission recently held a meet
ing at Kenora, Ontario. at which hear
lnSs were given to all the interests af-
fected by the boundary waters. This
It is regarded as having far greater
significance in the history of both ma
lions than the greatest battle could
nave had. 1t will make possible the
settling of difficulties which, under
former methods would have called for
battle. 1t was decided that no just set
tlement could be recommended until a
typographical survey of the entire ter
ritory could be made by competent sur
veyors. This survey has been going on
throughout the summer and will con-
tlnue until cold weather makes the !
work impossible. It will be resumed |
next spring when the weather permits.
The expense of the survey is TO be !
borne Jointly by the two nations.
Each supplies a survey party ut the
work is being carried on with spirit
OF absolute harmony and cooperation !
This survey is one of the most difficult
and unpleasant ever made. The sur
veyors follow small streams in canoe
as long as the streams are navlgaole,
then they abandon the canoe and wade ]
in the water. and sometimes are com
PEELED to wade hip deep in swamp 10
make the required measurements Ihe
cost so far has been over $4,000 put
no estimate has been made as to the
expense of completing ii. The chief
engineers of this surveying party VIII
report their progress to the commission