Evening star., 1924-09-24

ter what improvements may be made
in aerial travel. they will never
change the terrors OF the Arctic. Eng.
land is now considering an aerial
route across Europe to India by
which the trip will be made in four
days ~ not four weeks by sailing
through the Suez Canal, nor in as
many months. via Southern Africa, as
in days before steam power.
y < X (.
Tho other point of interest in tho
question of ownership OF the island
comes in conn ection with Capt. Ste
fanssons assumption that such title
lapses at the expiration Of five years
from the original discovery unless
the government takes active steps to
confirm its rights by making settle
ment, or prociaiming an intent to ex-
ercise sovereignty. There Is no such
international law.
Sovereignty may lapse II, within a
reasonable time after discovery, the
government makes no effort to con-
firm its rights. But reasonable
time" varies with each case and de-
pends upon circumstances. Moore's
international Law Digest, Vol. ], DID.
| 265-266. says:
I'm old times tho acts relied on as
giving title have scattered at
| wide intervals over a long space Of
time. But Of late years a
| marked change has occurred. !.
A tendency has consequently de-
clared itself to exact that more solid
grounds of title shall be shown than
| used to be adopted as sufficient. Tho
| most notable evidence of this tend
ency is afforded by the last declara-
tion adopted at the Berlin conference
| Of 1855" (The United States
| was q party 70 that conference with
all the powers of Europe-l The con-
i, feronee agreed that:
| ANY power which henceforth takes
possession Of q tract Of land on the
| coasts Of tho African continent ehaI
accompany the respective act with a
| notification thereof, addressed to the
| other signatory powers Of the pres
! ens act, in order to enable them, il
need be, to mako good any claims Of
| their own"
! While the above agreement was di-
! rected toward Africa only, it is
claimed that the principle that noti-
| fcation is sufficient-with the alb
sence of any requirement Of occuna-
tion Of any kind within any specified
time-applies everywhere in the an
sence of any other such internations !
| definition of what is to be required
| The American survey of wraneeI
Island, it is alleged, covers such off1-
cial notification to all the world as to
our ownership.
| Z < +
But now that Capt. Stefansson has
| raised 4 doubt Is to our rightx. Che
| Soviet governor Of the noYthernmoet
province Of Siberia declares that
wrangel Island has always belonged
| to Russia. under the law OF proxin-
ity. (It IL lot miles from tho nearest
Siberian eape.) A similar claim is
recorded in Moore's International
Law Digest. Volume I, page 2es,
! wherein is quoted Daniel Webster's
celebrated correspondence with the
! Peruvian Minister In 1875: concern
| ing the claim Of Peru to ownership Of
Lobos Islands, on which were valua-
| BILE deposits of guano.
/ Americans had gone to the islan
! and had carried away shiploads Of
| guano. Peru protested, alleging that
| since the islands were only 81 miles
| off the coast, under the law of con-
tisuity. they belonged to Peru. Mr.
Webster, as Secretary OF State, de-
MED the claim on the ground that
| contiguity extended only to the
| ''three-mile Nnnit-as far rs a cannon
could shoot to defend the claimed
| islands" ~''''
.
II A.