stefansson-wrangel-09-25-008-019

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- 19 -

Wrangell Island is now occupied by fifteen people under command of Charles
Wells
, an experienced hunter and trapper of the far north. The ownership
of this island first discovered by our seamen has been confirmed through
sacrifice and is being continued by effective occupation. We can feel sure
of the verdict if the question of ownership is submitted to an international
court, as recent despatches from Ottawa say is being done.

Whether the British Empire decides to stand on its rights
is a wholly different matter. The United States has the next best claim, and
between these nations any dispute can always be settled amicably on a legal
basis. But Russia seems to realize the value of Wrangell Island better than
any other country and is making protestations that are loud in proportion
to the weakness of her claims, legal and moral. Things often go, without
any other reason, to those who want them most. Then there is the possibility
of internationalizing the island for the benefit of all countries. But that,
again, is a practical question which has nothing to do with the spirit or
value of the sacrifices made by Crawford, Galle, Knight and Maurer.

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