The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1921-03-04
LINE OF FRIENDSHIP MAY
MARK TRADE ROUTE


countries By the United States ana
Canadian Joint commission to c0ns!dei
connecting the ST, Lawrence river ala
The Great Lakes by Il canal system
awakened new interest in the nearly
4 600 miles Of border that separates
this country from IFS neighbor 10 the
north.
The boundary between the two great
Enslish->praking countries Of America,
giving them joint ownership of some
Of The greatest lakes in the world, as
we'll as river of prime importance
holds possibilities for Development
overlooked by many Of the citizen
stockholders on both sides Of the Lille.
The single scheme now under discus
sion for the construction of canals TO
handle ocean-gong ships fDreshadcws
work that would rival in magnitude
and importance even the experimenting
engineering featS at Panama. With
huge canals connecting the waters of
the Great Lakes and the ST Lawrence.
ships capable of negotiating any
weather could sail with the ore. coal
and grain of the western United
States and Canada, directly to any
port of the Seven seas.
Discussion by the two countries Of
the feasibility 0f engaging Jointly
in the development of their border
waters is in contrast with S0me of he
stormy incidents in which the ,Uun
Diary has figured. Known in receAt
years as 1.-THE border without forts.
and come at last to be regarded rs
line Of anlity and friendship, it is per
hapS not generally realized now that
until the cumulative efforts of years
resulted not long ago in the settlement
of some Iong.standing disputes, the
United States Canadian boundary WAS
the source of almost continual miSun-
derStanding Many times there We're
unpleasant Incidents. twice the cotln-
tries were on the verge Of war, and for
well over a hundred years after the
close of the Revolutionary war diplo-
mats. commissioners, and even neutral
kings and emper0rs acting rs arbitfa-
tors We're kept busy trying to straight
,cn out the many >narIs into which
border line can become tangled
Much of the trouble in regard to the
boundary resulted from ignorance OF
the geography Of the country on the
part OF the early negotlators. The
ST. CrOiX river which the earliest
treaty stated should form the eastern
line Of Maine at the very starting point
of the international boundary was not
satisfactorily identified at first. and
this caused friction for some years.
A second geographical error-the as
sumption that the Lake Of the Woods
drained into Lake Superi0r-is respon-
Sible for the rather indefinite hOun-
Diary of small lakes and brooks be-
tween the two large lakes. The be-
lief that the Mississippi river had its
source in Canada and field notes in
accordance with that belief. brought
about the existence of tract of land
of hundred square miles. cut off on
n peninsula on Jpp northern shore of
me I-dhe tl me Nt'NS, l}ldCtttdilN SUI
rounded by Canadian territory and
many miles across the water from 9th
pr land OF the United States.
In connection with still another
United StateSCanadfan boundary -
that between southern Alaska ana
British Colunlbia-a mistaken impress
sion Of early Russian traders has CIV
en- the United States Il boundary rum
ming elter-sEelter over foothills and
ridges when 1t was believed to follow
mountain watershed, logical geo.
graphical boundary.