PROGRESS OF THE DEMARCATION OF THE ALASKA 



BOUNDARY. 



By O. H. TITTMANN, 



U. S. Commissioner. 



{Read April 24, igo8.) 



The boundary between the British and Russian possessions in 

 North America was defined by the Treaty of St. Petersburg of 

 1825. When the United States purchased the Russian possessions, 

 or Alaska, in 1867, it was beHeved that the territorial jurisdiction 

 of the United States and Great Britain could not become a matter 

 of controversy. This view is evidenced by the remark made by 

 Charles Sumner in his speech advocating the purchase of Alaska. 

 " I am glad," said he, " to begin with what is clear and beyond ques- 

 tion. I refer to the boundaries fixed by the treaty." 



The total length of the boundary referred to by Mr. Sumner is 

 twelve hundred miles. It divides itself naturally into two sections 

 of about six hundred miles each. One is the section bounded by the 

 141st meridian, and the other the irregular boundary delimiting the 

 narrow coast strip of southeastern Alaska. No dispute has ever 

 arisen as to that part of the boundary defined as being the 141st 

 meridian of longitude west of Greenwich. As is well known, how- 

 ever, a contention arose as to that part of the boundary which 

 delimits the stretch of coast extending from the neighborhood of 

 Mt. St. Elias southeasterly to and through the Portland Canal. A 

 modus Vivendi in 1878, affecting the Stikine River, and another in 

 1899, relating to the country at the head of Lynn Canal, made tem- 

 porary provision for customs and police purposes. The dispute 

 relating to that part of the boundary was happily settled by the Tri- 

 bunal of London which was constituted under a convention signed 

 at Washington January 24, 1903. 



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