stefansson-wrangel-09-18-037-002

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to Europe. No one in New York seems to know whether Mr. Noice is still
in Brazil, although it is assumed he has returned to the United States.
What he did about the Wrangel Island papers had induced all his
friends in New York to break connection with him (or at least all
friends that I know about) so that we have no way of finding out about
his movements.

It hurts me a good deal to have to publish the things
about him which I shall have to print because of his parents in Los
Angeles. I saw them shortly before leaving for Australia. At that time
they explained to a roomful of people what friends their son and I were
and how much I had done for him. I did not have the heart at that time
to say anything and evidently Noice himself had told them nothing. They
were also wholly unaware that he had treated his former comrades on the
Wrangel Island party as he had done. This and other things have made me
very reluctant to stress certain points as strongly as I might. I hope
you will sympathize a little with his parents and even with him, for he
seems to have been temporarily unbalanced last autumn, and that you won't
blame me for shielding him too much. To the best of my judgment I have
explained enough of his misdoings to completely relieve the memory of
your son and the other boys from the implied and expressed slurs which
he put up on them. My point of view always has been to clear their
memories with as little blackening of his character as possible.

I shall be out of New York for the next week but
shall receive here any letter you may write.

Mrs. Harry Galle,
New Braunfels, Texas.