Why did Britain support the US in the 1903 Alaska-Canada boundary dispute?

Answer 1

United States and Canada have had conflict over the interpretation and demarcation of the exact boundary dividing the U.S. and Canada. This case discusses some underlying reasons why the U.S.-Canada Border, the longest undefended border in the world, has been and is a point of contention between the U.S. and Canada. In particular, this case will focus on the Alaska Border Dispute in the early 1900s. Some people might question the importance of delineating a precise border dividing the two allied nations, particularly the 2,379 miles which runs under the water and is physically invisible. Yet, it has taken five treaties over a period of 120 years, from 1783 to 1903, to define the division of land and water between the two nations. Even today more accurate mapping is being considered using satellite technology to further define the boundary. Following several temporary boundary agreements in the 1800s, the boundary was largely determined by 1903. However, it was not until 1908 that a formal treaty was signed by the United States and Great Britain (Canada was a colony of Great Britain at that time). This treaty created a joint International Boundary Commission to mark the 5,525 mile long border, roughly the distance from Seattle to Shanghai. In order to meet treaty requirements of keeping a well-marked border, the United States and Great Britain found it necessary to make amendments. In 1925, a new Treaty was signed agreeing to maintain a visible border and making the International Boundary Commission (IBC) a permanent agency responsible for the upkeep of the border and to help resolve disputes along the border as they arise. Furthermore, the 1925 Treaty stipulates that the Commission is legally required to clear brush and trees, regardless of the impact on wildlife and the landscape, keeping a 10-foot-wide boundary on each side. Today the commission maintains approximately 9,000 visible land markers made of granite, concrete or steel and lighted buoys that float in the water, dividing jurisdictions over such rights as one's fishing domain.