711.4115A/22 supp.
The Secretary of State to the British Ambassador ( Howard )
Excellency: I have the honor further to refer to your note of April 21, 1926, in which you stated that the British Government agrees on certain conditions to the proposal of my Government for the assumption by the Philippine Government of the administration of certain islands on the east coast of Borneo which are now being administered by the British North Borneo Company in conformity with the Agreement concluded between the United States and Great Britain on July 10, 1907.
The conditions on which your Government expressed its willingness to agree to the proposal of the Government of the United States were communicated to the Philippine Government and that Government has expressed the view that instead of the proposed modification of the Agreement of 1907, placing some of the islands under the administration of the Philippine Government and leaving the boundary between the Philippine Archipelago and Borneo still definitely undetermined, it would be preferable that an agreement be concluded between the United States and Great Britain definitely determining the boundary, in accordance with paragraph 5 of the Agreement of July 10, 1907.
My Government concurs in the views of the Philippine Government and accordingly I have the honor to propose that the United States and Great Britain enter upon negotiations for the conclusion of a treaty to accomplish the definitive delimitation of the boundary.
The United States is prepared to agree that the boundary between the Philippine Archipelago and British North Borneo be as indicated in red ink on the accompanying charts (Nos. 4707 and 4720, published by the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey)38 and described as follows:
“From the point of intersection of the parallel of four degrees forty five minutes (4°45′) north latitude and the meridian of longitude one hundred twenty degrees (120°0′) east of Greenwich, (being a point on the boundary defined by the Treaty between the United States of [Page 780] America and Spain signed at Paris, December 10, 189839), a line due south along the meridian of longitude one hundred twenty degrees (120°0′) east of Greenwich to its point of intersection with the parallel of four degrees twenty three minutes (4°23′) north latitude;
thence due west along the parallel of four degrees twenty three minutes (4°23′)north latitude to its intersection with the meridian of longitude one hundred nineteen degrees (119°0′) east of Greenwich;
thence due north along the meridian of longitude one hundred nineteen degrees (119°0′) east of Greenwich to its intersection with the parallel of four degrees forty two minutes (4°42′) north latitude;
thence in a straight line approximately 45° 54′ true (N 45° 54′ E) to the intersection of the parallel of five degrees sixteen minutes (5° 16′) north latitude and the meridian of longitude one hundred nineteen degrees thirty five minutes (119°35′) east of Greenwich;
thence in a straight line approximately 314°19′ true (N 45°41′ W) to the intersection of the parallel of six degrees (6°0′) north latitude and the meridian of longitude one hundred eighteen degrees fifty minutes (118°50′) east of Greenwich;
thence due west along the parallel of six degrees (6°0′) north latitude to its intersection with the meridian of longitude one hundred eighteen degrees twenty minutes (118°20′) east of Greenwich;
thence in a straight line approximately 307°40′ true (N 52°20′ W) passing between Little Bakkungaan Island and Great Bakkungaan Island to the intersection of the parallel of six degrees seventeen minutes (6° 17′) north latitude and the meridian of longitude one hundred seventeen degrees fifty eight minutes (117°58′) east of Greenwich;
thence due north along the meridian of longitude one hundred seventeen degrees fifty eight minutes (117°58′) east of Greenwich to its intersection with the parallel of six degrees fifty two minutes (6°52′) north latitude;
thence in a straight line approximately 315° 16′ true (N 44°44′ W) to the intersection of the parallel of seven degrees twenty four minutes forty five seconds (7°24′45″) north latitude with the meridian of longitude one hundred seventeen degrees twenty five minutes thirty seconds (117°25′30″) east of Greenwich;
thence in a straight line approximately 300°56′ true (N 59°4′ W) through the Mangsee Channel between Mangsee Great Beef and Mangsee Islands to the intersection of the parallel of seven degrees forty minutes (7°40′) north latitude and the meridian of longitude one hundred seventeen degrees (117°0′) east of Greenwich (the latter point being on the boundary defined by the Treaty between the United States of America and Spain signed at Paris, December 10, 1898).”
For purposes of comparison there has been plotted on the accompanying chart, No. 4707, the so-called “Durand Line” as shown on the map referred to in the Third Article of the Agreement of 1907. It will be observed that the boundary now proposed by the United States lies farther from Borneo than does the “Durand Line”, except in the vicinity of the Turtle Islands, and in the portion of the 119th meridian where the two lines coincide.
[Page 781]With respect to the statement in your note under reference, that the British North Borneo Company has a good claim to Great Bakkungaan and Little Bakkungaan Islands, it will be observed that the boundary above described places Little Bakkungaan Island on the British side of the line. With respect to the desire of your Government to obtain for the British North Borneo Company a lease of an area on Taganac Island and certain privileges to insure the operation of the lighthouse now operated by the company on that island, you are informed that the Philippine Government is prepared to take over and maintain the lighthouse, and negotiations to that end would form part of the negotiations looking to the conclusion of the proposed treaty.
Should the proposal herein made meet with the approval of your Government, it is suggested that the negotiations be conducted in Washington.
Accept [etc.]
- Enclosures not printed.↩
- Foreign Relations, 1898, p. 831.↩