stefansson-wrangel-09-15-099-001

Stef. Arc. + Explo

October 11, 1924.

Dear Mr. Anderson:

I am mailing you to-day the galley proof of Mr.
Stefansson's book, "The Adventure of Wrangel Island," and am appealing to
you for advice in the absence of Mr. Taylor. Mr. Stefansson is out of
town and has just sent me the following wire:

"Mail Taylor immediately galley proof with letter explaining
changes in other galleys tell him I want opinion on anything that occurs
to him also fullest advice how to handle Noice explain I am greatly
worried by book and recipient of every variety contrary advice.”

However, in Mr. Stefansson's absence a letter has come from Mr. Taylor
in London, saying that he will not return until about Novomber 1st.

Mr. Stefansson's telegram and present anxiety are
inspired by the fact that while he has been away Noice has returned from
Brazil, has been to see me and has shown me letters that leave me con-
fused as to the true frinancial arrangements with the North American News-
paper Alliance. Mr. Noice feels that he has been wrongfully accused of
taking money that didn't belong to him and says that while the arrangements
were being made and when he returned from Wrangel his understanding was
that the $3,000. from the North American Newspaper Alliance was to be paid
to him personally, and that when he heard that Mr. Stefansson expected it
to go to the Company he became very angry. I explained Mr. Stefansson's
attitude by showing him a wire which Mr. Taylor sent me in July and which
I sent on to Mr. Stefansson, in which he said that "at Noice's suggestion"
the money from the articles was to go toward the expenses of the Company.
Noice then showed me the letters he had received from you, of which I am
enclosing you copies. It is hard to reconcile your letters and the wording
of the contract with the wire that Mr. Taylor sent me, and it looks as
though there had been a serious misunderstanding.

If you will read Chapters VIII and IX of the galley
proof (especially Chapter IX) you will see the understanding Mr.
Stefansson has had of the arrangements. In the appendix there is a
copy of the contract with the Alliance, if you wish to refresh your
memory on that.

Some other galleys have been further corrected than
the one I am sending you. Most of the corrections have been in Chapter
IX, "History of the Wrangel Island Documents," and most of them have been
in the direction of shortening it and softening it wherever possible.
However, this will [show] you the way the case appeared to Mr. Stefansson
when he wrote it. These latest developments are holding up the publication
of the book. I should have handed in the corrected galley proofs to be
set up in page proof this week had it not been for Noice's reappearance