THE ALASKA BOUNDARY AWARD.

Evening Star, Issue 12028, 28 October 1903, Page 1

THE ALASKA BOUNDARY AWARD.

inK gravity of the position err."rod Ly the decision of the Alaska Boundary Tribunal I lui.-j been brought home .to the ICmpire bvth-i I momentous declaration made bv Sir' W. * Laurier, the Premier oi the Dominion, in the? Canadian House of Commons on Monday- - When commenting upon the award we expressed the fear that bitterness and trouble would probably bo the outcome in Canada ; mid though there is no indication (so far) of resisting the award or lodging objections thereto, as provided for in the terms of the Convention, it is apparent that when words of such grave import are calmly uttered and with full sense of the responsibility attaching to them, the end of the -Alaska boundary incident has evidently not yet. been readied. The United States may secure that strip of land which, running | along the .Northern Pacific coast, landlocks Canadian territory as securely as tlrmigh it were in the heart of Sahara, but she will not secure a contented neighbor: while the Motherland, far from forging a link in the. chain that binds, baa, perhaps, snapped one in twain. The greatest, most loyal, and progressive ot colonial communities. in place ot acclaiming the policy of England, is, in the first smart* of its indignation, voicing a demand for larger and fuller powers through and by which ix will meet tne enemy at the gale, and deal with him free from the thraldom of a third party, “vio long, 71 Sir Wilfrid is reported to have said, “as Canada is a dependency of the “Crown tiie. present powers are insufficient. We must ask the Motherland for an extension to enable ns to deal with "similar questions in iutnre. in our own “ fashion according to the best, light we “ have.” He added that he had often regretted that Canada lay alongside a grasping. powerful nation like the United States, and that the Dominion lacked treat} 1 -making {lower, lb is possible, of course, to exaggerate the importance to he attached to there sentiments. The Sydney ‘ Telegraph,’ for example, seizes upon the Canadian Premier's declaration as an opportune and crushing criticism of Mr Chamberlain's fiscal 'scheme. We fail to see ilia analogy. Midi amberlain and Sir Wilfrid Lanricr are in harmony on most Imperial questions, and we should almost feel disposed to infer that Mr Chamberlain is more than likely to use the sacrificing of Canadian interests by the Alaskan Boundary Tribunal as a point in favor of his own policy. It is certainly worthy of note that the rejection, of Canada’s claims by the Commission should'synchronise with Mr Chamberlain’n appeal to 1 the Mother Country to awake to the possi- S bility of the colonies being forced awav! from her. Sir Wilfrid is at a loss to under- j stand the Portland Channel decision. In S this he is not singular. The first message ; intimated that Canada had oeen awarded 1 this channel, bnt later news made it clear i that the United .States liad won all along ! the line. Of the importance of this water- i way it is only necessary to say that the ter- | minus of the new transcontinental railway j will be in the vicinity of Fort Simpson, and ! that the latter, by the award, can. be com- I pletely dominated by United States guns. ! The history of the question does not bring ■ home to us the righteousness of the award ■ with that satisfying clearness we should like to have when reviewing it, and we have i sufficient faith in the judgment and wisdom • of our Canadian brethren to believe that there is a large measure of justification for their present attitude of scarcely-veiled defiance.