stefansson-wrangel-09-12-119-001

August 15th 1923.

Dear Taylor,

I have just received your letter of August 1, along
with its enclosures.

I shall attempt to give you first a brief resume of
my attempts and accomplishments since reaching London.

On arrival I had a kind message from the Duke of
Devonshire saying that he had arranged for immediate
interviews with the Secretary of State for Air and the
First Lord of the Admiralty. Within two or three days
I met at lunch in Admiralty House the First Lord, Mr.
L.S. Amery and the Secretary for Air, Sir Samual Hoare.
This preliminary conference was satisfactory. I found
both of them greatly interested in all questions of air
development and Amery especially well-informed about the
Arctic. Luckily for me he had already read The Northward
Course of Empire. (Since then he has read my other three
books and is now, from my point of view, the best-informed
man in London.)

The following week I met committees of the technical
staffs of the Admiralty and Air Ministry. These meetings
were also satisfactory. I received the greatest courtesy
and the friendliest help from the Colonial Office, espec-
ially from Mr. H.F. Batterbee who is in charge of Canadian
Affairs of that department. I had an interview with the
Duke of Devonshire, but that was really a social call,
although the place was his office.

During the next few weeks I had frequent opportunities
to meet Amery, Hoare, Gen. Sir Sefton Brancker (Head of
Civil Aviation) and many other officers of both departments.
Captain J.V. Creagh was specially kind in introducing me to
many officers connected with the Admiralty. I am also
fortunate in the friendship of AdmiralJ.W.L. McClintock, the
son of the famous Sir Leopold. I met him, his brother and
their mother three years ago and have corresponded with his
brother off and on since.

At first it seemed likely that the Colonial Office
could give me a decision within a month or so. The two-