the canadian dominion-第35章

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　freedom　proved　the　only　enduring　basis　of　empire。　Botha's　task　in　attempting　to　make　Boer　and　Briton　work　together；　first　in　the　Transvaal；　and；　after　1910；　in　the　Union　of　South　Africa；　had　not　been　an　easy　one。　Attacked　by　extremists　from　both　directions；　he　faced　much　the　same　difficulties　as　Laurier；　and　he　found　in　Laurier's　friendship；　counsel；　and　example　much　that　stood　him　in　good　stead　in　the　days　of　stress　to　come。


Not　less　important　than　the　relations　with　the　United　Kingdom　in　this　period　were　the　relations　with　the　United　States。　The　Venezuela　episode　was　the　turning　point　in　the　relations　between　the　United　States　and　the　British　Empire。　Both　in　Washington　and　in　London　men　had　been　astounded　to　find　themselves　on　the　verge　of　war。　The　danger　passed；　but　the　shock　awoke　thousands　to　a　realization　of　all　that　the　two　peoples　had　in　common　and　to　the　need　of　concerted　effort　to　remove　the　sources　of　friction。　Then　hard　on　the　heels　of　this　episode　followed　the　Spanish…American　War。*　Not　the　least　of　its　by…products　was　a　remarkable　improvement　in　the　relations　of　the　English…speaking　nations。　The　course　of　the　war；　the　intrigues　of　European　courts　to　secure　intervention　on　behalf　of　Spain；　and　the　lining　up　of　a　British　squadron　beside　Dewey　in　Manila　Bay　when　a　German　Admiral　blustered；　revealed　Great　Britain　as　the　one　trustworthy　friend　the　United　States　possessed　abroad。　The　annexation　of　the　Philippines　and　the　definite　entry　of　the　United　States　upon　world　politics　broke　down　the　irresponsible　isolation　which　British　ministers　had　found　so　much　of　a　barrier　to　diplomatic　accommodations。　With　John　Hay　and　later　Elihu　Root　at　the　State　Department；　and　Lansdowne　and　Grey　at　the　Foreign　Office　in　London；　there　began　an　era　of　good　feeling　between　the　two　countries。


*　See　〃The　Path　of　Empire〃。


Ottawa　and　Washington　were　somewhat　slower　in　coming　to　terms。　Many　difficulties　can　arise　along　a　three　thousand　mile　border；　and　with　a　people　so　sure　of　themselves　as　the　Americans　were　at　this　period　and　a　people　so　sensitive　to　any　infringements　of　their　national　rights　as　the　Canadians　were；　petty　differences　often　loomed　large。　The　Laurier　Government；　therefore；　proposed　shortly　after　its　accession　to　power　in　1896　that　an　attempt　should　be　made　to　clear　away　all　outstanding　issues　and　to　effect　a　trade　agreement。　A　Joint　High　Commission　was　constituted　in　1898。　The　members　from　the　United　States　were　Senator　Fairbanks；　Senator　Gray；　Representative　Nelson　Dingley；　General　Foster；　J。A。　Kasson；　and　T。J。　Coolidge　of　the　State　Department。　Great　Britain　was　represented　by　Lord　Herschell；　who　acted　as　chairman；　Newfoundland　by　Sir　James　Winter；　and　Canada　by　Sir　Wilfrid　Laurier；　Sir　Richard　Cartwright；　Sir　Louis　Davies；　and　John　Charlton；　M。P。

The　Commission　held　prolonged　sittings；　first　at　Quebec　and　later　at　Washington；　and　reached　tentative　agreement　on　nearly　all　of　the　troublesome　questions　at　issue。　The　bonding　privileges　on　both　sides　the　border　were　to　be　given　an　assured　basis；　the　unneighborly　alien　labor　laws　were　to　be　relaxed；　the　Rush…Bagot　Convention　regarding　armament　on　the　Great　Lakes　was　to　be　revised；　Canadian　vessels　were　to　abandon　pelagic　sealing　in　Bering　Sea　for　a　money　compensation；　and　a　reciprocity　treaty　covering　natural　products　and　some　manufactures　was　sketched　out。　Yet　no　agreement　followed。　One　issue；　the　Alaska　boundary；　proved　insoluble；　and　as　no　agreement　was　acceptable　which　did　not　cover　every　difference；　the　Commission　never　again　assembled　after　its　adjournment　in　February；　1899。


The　boundary　between　Alaska　and　the　Dominion　was　the　only　bit　of　the　border　line　not　yet　determined。　As　in　former　cases　of　boundary　disputes；　the　inaccuracies　of　map　makers；　the　ambiguities　of　diplomats；　the　clash　of　local　interests；　and　stiff…necked　national　pride　made　a　settlement　difficult。　In　1825　Russia　and　Great　Britain　had　signed　a　treaty　which　granted　Russia　a　long　panhandle　strip　down　the　Pacific　coast。　With　the　purchase　of　Alaska　in　1867　the　United　States　succeeded　to　Russia's　claim。　With　the　growth　of　settlement　in　Canada　this　long　barrier　down　half　of　her　Pacific　coast　was　found　to　be　irksome。　Attempt　after　attempt　to　have　the　line　determined　only　added　to　the　stock　of　memorials　in　official　pigeonholes。　Then　came　the　discovery　of　gold　in　the　Klondike　in　1896；　and　the　question　of　easy　access　by　sea　to　the　Canadian　back　country　became　an　urgent　one。　Canada　offered　to　compromise；　admitting　the　American　title　to　the　chief　ports　on　Lynn　Canal；　Dyea　and　Skagway；　if　Pyramid　Harbor　were　held　Canadian。　She　urged　arbitration　on　the　model　the　United　States　had　dictated　in　the　Venezuela　dispute。　But　the　United　States　was　in　possession　of　the　most　important　points。　Its　people　believed　the　Canadian　claims　had　been　trumped　up　when　the　Klondike　fields　were　opened。　The　Puget　Sound　cities　wanted　no　breach　in　their　monopoly　of　the　supply　trade　to　the　north。　The　only　concession　the　United　States　would　make　was　to　refer　the　dispute　to　a　commission　of　six；　three　from　each　country；　with　the　proviso　that　no　area　settled　by　Americans　should　in　any　event　pass　into　other　bands。　Canada　felt　that　arbitration　under　these　conditions　would　either　end　in　deadlock；　leaving　the　United　States　in　possession；　or　in　concession　by　one　or　more　of　the　British　representatives；　and　so　declined　to　accept　the　proposed　arrangement。

Finally；　in　1903；　agreement　was　reached　between　London　and　Washington　to　accept　the　tribunal　proposed　by　the　United　States；　which　in　turn　withdrew　its　veto　on　the　transfer　of　any　settled　area。　Canada's　reluctant　consent　was　won　by　a　provision　that　the　members　of　the　tribunal　should　be　〃impartial　jurists　of　repute；〃　sworn　to　render　a　judicial　verdict。　When　Elihu　Root；　Senator　Lodge；　and　Senator　Turner　were　named　as　the　American　representatives；　Ottawa　protested　that　eminent　and　honorable　as　they　were；　their　public　attitude　on　this　question　made　it　impossible　to　consider　them　〃impartial　jurists。〃　The　Canadian　Government　in　return　nominated　three　judges；　Lord　Alverstone；　Lord　Chief　Justice　of　England；　Sir　Louis　Jette；　of　Quebec；　and　Mr。　Justice　Armour；　succeeded　on　his　death　by　A。　B。　Aylesworth；　a　leader　of　the　Ontario　bar。　The　tribunal　met　in　London；　where　the　case　was　thoroughly　argued。

The　Treaty　of　1825　had　provided　that　the　southern　boundary　should　follow　the　Portland　Canal　to　the　fifty…sixth　parallel　of　latitude　and　thence　the　summits　of　the　mountains　parallel　to　the　coast；　with　the　stipulation　that　if　the　summit　of　the　mountains　anywhere　proved　to　be　more　than　ten　marine　leagues　from　the　ocean；　a　line　drawn　parallel　to　the　windings　of　the　coast　not　more　than　ten　leagues　distant　should　form　the　boundary。　Three　questions　arose：　What　was　the　Portland　Canal？　Did　the　treaty　assure　Russia　an　unbroken　strip　by　making　the　boundary　run　round　the　ends　of　deep　inlets？　Did　mountains　exist　parallel　to　the　coast　within　ten　leagues'　distance？　In　October　these　questions　received　their　answer。　Lord　Alverstone　and　the　three　American　members　decided　in　favor　of　the　United　States　on　the　main　issues。　The　two　Canadian；　representatives　refused　to　sign　the　award　and　denounced　it　as　unjudicial　and　unwarranted。

The　decision　set　Canada　aflame。　Lord　Alverstone　was　denounced　in　unmeasured　terms。　From　Atlantic　to　Pacific　the　charge　was　echoed　that　once　more　the　interests　of　Canada　had　been　sacrificed　by　Britain　on　the　altar　of　Anglo…American　friendship。　The　outburst　was　not　understood　abroad。　It　was　not；　as　United　States　opinion　imagined；　merely　childish　petulance　or　the　whining　of　a　poor　loser。　It　was　against　Great　Britain；　not　against　the　United　States；　that　the　criticism　was　directed。　It　was　not　the　decision；　but　the　way　in　which　it　was　made；　that　roused　deep　anger。　The　decision　on　the　main　issue；　that　the　line　ran　back　of　even　the　deepest　inlets　and　barred　Canada　from　a　single　harbor；　though　unwelcome；　was　accepted　as　a　judicial　verdict　and　has　since　been　little　questioned。　The　finding　that　the　boundary　should　follow　certain　mountains　behind　those　Canada　urged；　but　short　of　the　ten　league　line；　was　attacked　by　the　Canadian　representatives　as　a　compromise；　and　its　judicial　character　is　certainly　open　to　some　d