stefansson-wrangel-09-20-083-001

Maurer

Nov.Octomber 3, 1924.

Dear Mr. Maurer:

I appreciate very deeply your attitude about Fred's
money affairs as shown by your return of my check and by your accompany-
ing letter. I shall let you know if I ever get near enough to New
Philadelphia so that it is practical for us to meet.

Meantime, we must deal immediately with the suggestion
of Mrs. Crawford that Fred's letter to his wife should be published. I
agree with the view of your family that it would be better not to publish
it, and I am very glad that you have arrived at that decision without any
suggestion from me. Unfortunately, I have reason to suppose that Mrs.
Crawford's chief motive for wanting the letter published is that it
reflects to a certain extent on Lorne Knight. I am hoping that the
sentiment of the Crawfords may be changed a little by Noice's confession,
but pending that, their view is that I am responsible for their son's
death because he (Allan) had to rely on the advice and support of Lorne
Knight and Fred (but she especially blames Lorne Knight) who were,
according to their view, incompetent. This means that they have been con-
vinced by Mr. Noice's presentation. I think it is necessary for us to
be very frank in stating this case, but I am doing it on the understanding
that this letter be kept strictly private. Mrs. Crawford's attitude must
be described either as abnormal or as vindictive, for she is very anxious
to have brought out any evidence to discredit especially Lorne Knight but
I feel to a less extent also Fred, since she wants to establish her case
against me through them - the final result of her reasoning being that
I am to blame because I ought to have known what Mr. Noice claims to have
known in advance, that these men were not competent or reliable.

You know from many sources the very high regard I had
both for your brother and for Lorne Knight. I have letters from John
Munro, who was in command on Wrangel Island after Bartlett left, saying
that Fred was the most resourceful and generally competent man he had
and that of the entire ship's company of the Karluk he would have pre-
ferred him in a difficult situation to any other man. I am sure I could
get high opinions of Lorne Knight also from his companions although I
have not troubled to do that as yet because, after all, my personal
association with him was much more extensive than my association with
Fred, so that I am in a position to prefer my own opinion of Knight, so
far as I myself am concerned, to that of anyone else.

Now the practical thing which I hope you will
immediately do is to write Mrs. Crawford a friendly and diplomatic letter
giving your reasons why you have written me to the effect that the family
wants Fred's letter omitted from the book. You will, of course, state the