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Pacific Coast and which has been constantly increased as I have learned the
details of his work on Wrangell Island. He had an avid curiosity and an eager
interest in every sort of thing, including politics. He was strongly of the
opinion that Mr. Meighen's chances for re-election were not very good and that,
much as we might regret it, we would have to think along the lines of what
might happen if another government came to power. When towards evening I finally
decided to tell him fully in confidence all the Wrangell Island plans, it was
after he had promised me that he would keep them confidential secret even from his
parents, a promise I have since learned he scrupulously kept. The conclusion
was that he was eager for the work and would take all chances, including that
of my possible failure inability to pay him wages in case the Government failed to back us
up. I would make these promises of wages and keep them if and when I could. The only
thing essential was that I would find without his help the money for this year's outfitting,
although he would have liked to contribute had he had any money. As related
hereafter, he was actually better than his word on this point and really did
contribute a little money towards the expedition.

But the conclusion of the Ann Arbor conference could only be
that Crawford must return to Ontario and await developments. I would let him
know by telegram if the Government authority came through and he would be ready
at a few hours' notice. Whatever the scale of the expedition, two of his
comrades would be Lorne Knight and Fred Maurer, who were both on the Pacific
Coast, and the first thing would be for him to get together with them so as to
have a few days or weeks of preliminary association to decide whether they were
personally compatible congenial.

It was an especially good fortune that there came to meet me at
Ann Arbor not only Crawford but also Captain George H. Wilkins, D.S.O., of the
Australian Army, who had been second in command of the northern section of my
expedition of 1913-1918.* This gave Crawford some opportunity to converse with
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* See many references to George H. Wilkins in the index of "The Friendly Arctic."