Show THOSE BORNEO ISLANDS BoarAdmiral Evans Sent Gunboat to Tnko and Mark Them for United Stuffs Washington July 18No V cqtnrnunl cation hap yet reached the State Department De-partment from the British government about several Islands off the coast ot Borneo now In possession oC thd United States which some members of the Hpuao of Commons seem to think belong be-long to Great Britain The State Department however 18 prepared tQ five a prompt and conclusive conclu-sive answer when Lord Lqnsdownes Inquiry In-quiry reaches here Before leaving Washington yesterday Secretary Hay looked personally Into the matter nnd satisfied himself that the British gov crnmont hud not the shadow of a claim op the Islands In I question When the Inquiry reaches here acting Secretary Loorqla In replying will call the attention atten-tion of the London government first to the treaty of iSSfi between Great Brlt filn Germany and Spain by which the last named nation wns to haw title overall over-all the Islands l outside a marine leagues distance l of the Borneo coast Later In the treaty which this government gov-ernment negotiated with the Sultan of Jolo for the purchase of certain Islands belonging to him a drasnct clause was Inserted claiming for the United States all those Islands which had been ceded to Spain by the treaty of iSSJj On file In the ofilce RoarAdmiral Bradford chief of the bureau of equipment equip-ment are the charts and maps showing the location of the seven Islands In con troversy These Islands are clearly outside out-side of the marine league of the Borneo coast and therefore under tho terms of the two treaties belong to the United States It is said at tlie Navy Department that BearAdmiral Evans knowing these facts recently sent one of tho Philippine gunboats to the Islands to survey them and mark theni ns Ampri can territory It Is explained that the islands have strategical Importance and for this reason the United Stales under no circumstances would part with them |