The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-05-21
SOUTHEAST ALASKA
GIVEN TO ENGLAND.
MARYLAND CONGRESSMAN IN
PRODUCES FOOLISH BILL TO
PLACATE ENGLAND.

1t Is really Illuminating a. tiihc" ~
see what shallow Drained individuals
manage to obtain seat in congress.
Now here is a congressman from
MARYLAND named Smith, who Is evil
England than he is for his own coun-
try, who wants to cede the long strip
of rich and valuable territory de-
scribed as southeast ALASKA to Canada,
first In order to create more friendly
feeling and now in order to induce
England to consent to permit the Unit
ed States to give free passage through
the Panama canal to coastwise ship
ping OF this freak bill and it's author.
Harry ]. Brown, Washington cor
respondent, says:
Bill Is PigeonhoIed.
There is not the slightest chance
that congress will pass the bill intro
duced by Representative Smith Of
Maryland transferring southeast Alas
ka to Great Britain on condition that
Great Britain consents to an abroga-
ton of the -Pauncefote treaty. In
fact the measure will not be consider
ed by any committee for the PROPOSE
ton is so utterly un-American and so
uncalled for that other members will
decline to have anything to do with it.
1t is true, however, that few news
papers with strong pro-British lean
ings here advocated the passage of
the bill on the theory that it will put
an end to the controversy over Pana-
ma canal tolls. Representative Smith
is one of the house members little
known outside his own district and
but for his constant desire to give
the country would never have known
such man sat in congress.
Make Good Fellow of Uncls Sam.
EARLY this session, before the tolls
issue arose, Mr.. Smith proposed that
the Alaska panhandle be presented to
Canada solely on the ground of pro-
noting good feeling between the peo-
pie of Canada and those of the United
States. That proposition fell on deaf
ears and his bill was buried in a COM
mittee pigeonhole where it is now COW
cred with dust. Finding the congress
unwilling to part with southeastern
Alaska on no pretext whatever, ex-
cept the desire of Mr.. Smith to give
Canada the seaports and harbors, the
mines and other resources of the most
thoroughly developed part of our nor
them possession, the Maryland mem
Der waited until the canal issue be-
came acute and then again advanced
his proposal coupled with the condi-
ton that Great Britain agree u abro-
gate the Hay Pauncefote treaty,
thereby removing the last vestige of
doubt as to the right of the United
States to pass it's coastwise ships
through the canal free of Tolls How
such intense Anglomaniacs as Smith
of Maryland manage to be elected to
congress is one Of the mysteries of
American politics.
Congress Can Not cede It.
"The quietus was put on the trans
fer proposal by Representative Coop
er Of Wisconsin who cited decisions of
the supreme court to the effect that
territory once under the jurisdiction OF
the constitution of the United States
can not be coded, sold or otherwise
disposed of, either by congress or by
the president, and can only be alien
ated by war. But even if this were
not true the Smith resolution would
never be brought up for serious con-
sheraton. The United States will
hold on to all of Alaska"