stefansson-wrangel-09-38-001

MEMORANDUM REGARDING THE BRITISH PARTY

ISOLATED SINCE SEPTEMBER 1921 ON WRANGELL ISLAND

IN THE ARCTIC SEA.

It is well known that those who are once associated with Arctic voyages become permanently infatuated with the North. The summer of 1921 a number of us became convinced that the British Empire was likely to lose Wrangell Island through occupation by the Japanese. They were said to be pushing steadily northward into Siberia, and we took it for granted that the value of all Arctic islands as base stations for aviation a nd radio would soon become evident to such a forward-looking people. I had been able to create a certain amount of interest on the part of the Canadian Government, but they finally postponed the desired expedition until 1922. Since our immediate right to Wrangell Island rested upon the work of my own expedition in 1914, it was clear that if the Japanese were to occupy the island late in 1921 or early in 1922 ahead of any fresh British enterprise, an Internationa 1 Court was likely to award possession to the Japanese on the recognised principles of international law. My former companions urged me to organise an expedition and rehoist the British flag on the island and keep it there against the time that the Empire would realise the value of all the Arctic islands

2

and become ready to ta ke this one over. Since the Canadian Government in spite of my arguments had decided to wait at least until 1922, we did not take even them into our confidence but arranged the expedition so secretly that not even the partents of the men who were going knew exactly where they would go, or received any inkling of the political nature of the enterprise.

Four young men went by passenger steamer from Seattle to Nome, Alaska, 500 miles SE from Wrangell Island. Here they gave out only vague hints which, according to the temperament of a gold mining ca mp, created the impression tha t they were in search of gold somewhere eastward. The schooner "Silver Wave" was charted and the four men with some Eskimos were landed in Wrangell Island in middle September 1921, the schooner reaturning immediately to Nome.

My arrangement with the members of the expedition was that a supply ship should be sent up in 1922, bringing also new men to increase the party and to take back any who might care to come out. Since I had no yet convinced the Canadian Government of the value of the island, of at least of the propriety of incorporating it in Canada, I had to raise the money privately for this proposed supply ship. I had difficulty in borrowing the money and it was consequently a month past the ideal navigation period when our supply ship sailed. In nineteen years out of twenty even the late sailing date would have occasioned no trouble, but this year was the

3

rare bad one, a nd though no a scrap of ice had been seen the preceding season nor a speck of snow on the isalnd, the situation in 1922 was that our schooner was unable to approach within 100 miles of Wrangell.

The men on Wrangell Island are making their living by hunting; but since they are experienced men who agree with me that there is no difficulty in supporting life in the Arctic by the method "living off the land", I do not put their case on the main ground of danger or suffering.

However, the party have been isolated without news or supplies for two years. Illness may have developed or possibily friction within the party. Their situation is no more serious however than that created by equal isolation on a tropical island.

At present I seem to have been able to convince both the Canadian and British Goverments that the island is British and that it is valuable, but there is the question in Canada as to whether that country should be expanded to administer Wrangell Island, and apparently the feeling in Great Britain is that this is an important point to decide. So far as I know the Ministers of Admiralty and Air are strongly in favour of the retention of the island on some terms or other. I have been warned however that the decision may not be arrived at by the Cabinet very soon and that possibily it will have to be held over until the Imperial Conference.

Had I been able to get a favorable descision in June,