ANGLO-AMERICAN ARBITRATION.

New Zealand Times, Volume LVIX, Issue 3004, 16 December 1896, Page 2

ANGLO-AMERICAN ARBITRATION.

, The Terms of the Treaty., By TeUgraph.—Press Association. — Copyright. Received December 15,7.30 p.m. London, December 14, The Anglo-American arbitration treaty decides all disputes for the past five years, including the Alaska question, and excepting the Venezuelan and the Behring Sea disputes.

By the treaty of February 25th; 1825, between Russia and Groat Britain, all islands to the north of 54deg 40min N. are assigned to Russia; on the mainland of the boundary ascends the Portland Canal.to 56deg N., and then follows the west of the mountains, but never exceeds a distance of 10 leagues from the coast. The United States, when they purchased Alaska in ISG7, acquired it subject to these conditions. Differences of opinion oh the interpretation of this treaty have arisen between the United States and the Dominion of Canada. The former maintain the “ Portland Canal ” of the treaty isjthe fiord thus named on modern maps, and that the 10 leagues are to bo measured from the head? of all bays or fiords. The Dominion Government, on the other hand, has pointed out that the “ Portland Canal” referred to separates the Revilla-Gigodo Islands from the mainland, and that the 10 leagues ought to bo measured from the outer coast. The dispute has acquired some importance ovying to the discovery of gold within the territory claimed by the Uriitgd States. A parefql eurygy Ijas nqw been ma4e of the whole of the region ip dispute, tljo srml settlement of the vexed question is imminent. The Venezuelan dispute is of long standing, and it is a pity that it was not settled before the discovery of gold gave importance to territories formerly looked upon as almost of nq value. When Great Britain took Guiana froh* thp Dutch in 1J95 the boundaries had never been settled;, Veneiqelq, as thp successor of Spain, now claims all that lies to the west of Kssequibo, only excepting a snjall district near the mouth of the river, within ijhiph Iqy the Dqtqh fprfc of New Zealand, founded in 1500. Brasil,<m the other hand, claimed the whole of the basin of the Amazon, thus leaving only a small slice of the present colony to Great Britain, The Schomburgk lino ia the boundary suggested by Sir 11. Sohomburgk in 1810. The arrest of British police by Venezuelans in 1895 close to the boundary, and the British-Amorioan trouble which followed, is fresh in the*minds of our. readeia. • ' i The dispute between Great Britain, Canada and 'the United States regarding the Behring Seq, questi^q 0 originated as far back as 1886. From that year onward fill* I§ol various unpleasant incidents occurred 'between tho revenue cutters of the United States and British and Canadian schooners, who claimed the right of sealing, which tlje Americans held to bo Illegal, assorting that tbe Behring Sea was a mare Eventually, after vigorous* protests against these seizures, arbitration was resolved upon, anfl aij agreement arrived at between Great Britain and the "United States, practically prohibiting all 1 killing of soils in the disputed; area so long’as the arbitration was pending.' Tho Court of Arbitration met'ih‘lß93, add a treaty agreed upon. ’ l - ■' ' '*