THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1909. THE OWNERSHIP OF ARCTIC LANDS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9621, 14 October 1909, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1909. THE OWNERSHIP OF ARCTIC LANDS.

As soon as it was announced that not only Dr Cook, but also Commander Peary had hoisted the Stars and Stripes at the North Pole and claimed ali territory thereabouts on , behalf of the Government of the United States, Sir Wilfrid Laurier promptly put forward a claim that all land between the North American boundary and the Pole should be recognised as the hinterland of Canada. It is apparently in connection with that claim that Captain Bernier, of ! the Government steamer Arctic, has now taken formal possession of Banks Land and other adjoining Arctic lands for Canada. A territorial dispute in that ice-bound region would be little short of an absurdity, but it is significant to remember that when the Alaska boundary dispute between Canada and the United States was settled, by the finding of a Joint Commission, u>ider the presidentship of Lord Alverstone, the British Chief Justice, in 1903, very hot words were used by the public men of Canada, and the Canadian Commissioners refused to sign the award, which conceded to the United States practically all the issues that were raised. When that award was made public, Sir Wilfrid Laurier said, in the Canadian House of Commons:—"So long as Canada remains a dependenccv of the British Crown the present powers we have are not sufficient for the maintenance of our rights. It is important that we should ask the British Parliament for more extpnsive powers, so that if we ever have to deal with matters of a similar nature again we shall deal with them in our own fashion, and according to the best light we have." That candid utterance has a direct beaiing upon this formal action of Captain Bernier on board the Government steamer Arctic in taking possession of Banks Land on behalf of Canada. The event "of a similar nature," which Sir Wilfrid Laurier anticipated, has corre to pass, and the Canadian Government has boldly asserted the right to deal with it according to its own fashion. The Mackenzie district and the Franklin district of the Canadian north-west territories are on the mainland, opposite to Banks Land, ho that Canada may be excused for looking askance at a possible annexation by the United States of any polar territories that might be claimed as depending upon the explorations of Cook or Peary. As far as Banks Land itself is concerned, there would ap-

pear to be no doubt that it has bee British territory ever since Parry discovered it in 1819, but Captain Bernier is said tu have taken possession of other Arctic lands as well, on behalf of Canada. Hence the possibility of a barren but none the less acrimir.ious territorial dispute with the United States. The first issue that emerges is the competency or otherwise of Captain Bernier or any other official acHng on behalf of the Canadian Government, to annex any unoccupied land on behalf of Canada. As a B ritiah dependency, Canada can only take possession of new territory as the.agent of Great Britain, and subject to ratification of her action by Great Britain. Strictly speaking, the Canadian Government can 110 more take possession of unoccupied islands in the Arctic Ocean than the New Zealand Government could take possession of unoccupied islands in the Pacific Ocean, except with the consent of Great Britain, and un the understanding that Great Britain .would supooit the annexation with all her authority, prestige, and resources. A situation which was on all tours with that which is created by the present action by uanada came about in Australia when Queensland attempted to annex New Guinea—other than the Dutch portion of the island—prior to Germany taking possession of what is now German New Guinea. The British Government on that occasion disallowed the action of the Queensland Government, and though Queensland protested, the protest was unheeded. It is, of course, com ■ petent for the British Government similarly to disallow the action of Sir Wilfrid Laurier's Government in connection with the Arctic islands. The fact that a territorial dispute between Canada and the United States is possible in the Arctic regions is a singular proof of the i extremely restricted area of territory which now remains available in the world for pre-emption by any of the Powers .