stefansson-wrangel-09-15-095-003

Wrangle

Permanent Address
American Geographical Society,
Broadway at 156th Street,
New York, N.Y.

Sydney Australia,
June 2, 1924.

Honourable Charles Stewart,
Minister of the Interior,
Ottawa, Ontario.

Sir:

When I was in Ottawa in the latter part of March you
asked me to write you what I thought the Government ought to do
about Wrangell Island. I had so often reiterated what I thought
they should do that (although I said to you offhand that I would)
I did not at first see what I could [no w] write. I desired also to
have a conference with several people, notably my associate, Mr.
A. J. T. Taylor of the Combustion Engineering Corporation, Bank of
Hamilton Building, Toronto, and Sir Edmund/Walker who was one of the
few Canadian contributors to the Wrangell Island enterprise. I
went to Toronto immediately after seeing you and arrived there in
the morning after Sir Edmund had died. This unsettled me very
much, partly as a matter of personal feeling and partly because
his advice was no longer available. I then wrote you saying that
the promised statement would be somewhat delayed.

At this stage the newspapers carried the announcement
that you had said in Paliamont that Canada would make no claim
for Wrangell Island. The despatches which I saw at the time did
not carry the information (which I have learned only from the press
report sent from Ottawa to England), that you had added that Great
Britain might put in a claim for the island.

Since no conversation is possible and correspondance
very slow between Canada and Australia, I am submitting herewith
several alternative proposals to what Canada might do.