stefansson-wrangel-09-01-002-001

C O PY

February 7th, 1921.

Confidential

Dear Mr. Harkin:

I don't think it will be later than Monday, February 14th,
that I shall see you in Ottawa. Meantime, I am writing you to set
down very briefly a basis for discussion.

I have understood from your letters and telegrams that the
matter of a polar expedition has been placed partly or entirely in
your hands. I shall express myself very frankly but at the same time
very confidentially on some points.

1. I think it is fortunate if the expedition is under the Depart-
ment of the Interior, except for the fact that Mr. Desbarats and his
subordinates are undoubtedly better able to handle the outfitting of an
expedition than any other department. It seems to me that whatever
department is in charge, the ship should be outfitted by the Naval
Service. I know various reasons, and you probably know them, too, why
the Department of Marine would not be so suitable. I think it would be
especially fortunate if the general charge of the outfitting were under
Mr. Desbarats and the particular job assigned to Mr. G. W. Phillips,
whom I found a most admirable man in connection with the outfitting of
my expedition. He accompanied us to Nome, Alaska, and nothing that went
under his hands failed to be done in the best possible way. He is an
enthusiast on the subject and would delight in another assignment of the
same sort. He is now in Ottawa with a more or less indefinite position
with the Naval Service.

2. You know what hardships and difficulties most of the early
expeditions have had. Even an account of such late ones as Lowe’s and
Bernier’s show that problems appear to them formidable which are either
not formidable or in some cases actually non-existent. Expeditions
under such commands and along such plans may achieve the results
intended but they will do so only at the cost of a great deal of effort,
where the same ends could be attained by another method with little or
no effort.

3. It is doubtless correct, as you say, that pure exploration
and the occupation of such lands as Ellesmere should be under different
commanders in the field. But from Ottawa the work should be planned by
someone who understands polar conditions, and such general plans followed
by both parties. As indicated above, it is possible to make mountains