stefansson-wrangel-09-15-001-001

Jan. 21.—(Special).—The
statement that the United States
proposes to send the airship Shen-
andoah to the Arctic regions with
a view of annexing lands in that
area to the United States, and the
comment from London that this
comes as a challenge to the action
of Stefansson in hoisting the Union
Jack over Wrangel Island, has ex-
cited considerable interest in Gov-
ernment circles here.

Correspondence has been going on
between the British, Russian and
United States Governments on the
one hand, and the British and Can-
adian Governments on the other.
Notwithstanding the fact that Ste-
fansson hoisted the Canadian flag,
the evidence presented to the Bri-
tish Government casts very decided
doubts on the priority of Ste-
fansson’s claim, and the attitude of
the British Foreign Office at pres-
ent appears to be to let sleeping
dogs lie.

RUSSIA’S CLAIM.

A despatch in the Russian paper
Isvestia, in which the effect of
Stefansson’s action is pointed out,
seems to have first aroused then Rus-
sian Government, and in com-
munication from the Soviet Ambas-
sador in London it is pointed out
that the Russian navigator, Baron
Wrangel, discovered and landed on
the island in 1821, and there has
been Russian occupancy at differ-
ent times since that date. As far
back as 1910 Russia fixed naviga-
tion marks on the island.

In 1916 the Russian Government
send a circular note to the other
Governments declaring sovereignty
over the island. In 1918 a British
publication, the Arctic Pilot, admits
that the island was discovered by
Russia. The Soviet Government
advised the British Government
that Russia “would not submit to
this attempt of Canadian or Brit-
tish Imperialism to seize territory
belonging to others.”

Again last May the Russian Am-
bassador in London urged the Brit-
ish Government “to use its good
offices with Canadian Govt. to put an
end to these raids.” Last June the
American charge d’affaires in Lon-
don entered the controversy, asking
what position the British Govt.
meant to take in view of the fact
that both Russia and the United
States were interested. The New
York World stated editorially last
August that “the United States had
a finger in the pie because it had
a claim of priority of landing.”

Subsequent notes from Russia
pointed out that in 1910 a Russian
hydrographic Arctic expedition had
made measurements around the is
land and erected navigation pyra-
mids for the guidance of ships.

Stefansson is still carrying on pro-
paganda in support of his claim, and
in a recent communication from New
York refers to a conversation he had
with an American admiral whom he
names, in which the latter stated
that “Stefansson’s action sealed pos-
session of the island for Canada.”

In view of the present action of
the United States Government, it
would appear that a different view is
held there as to Canada’s claims in
the Arctic.

The British Government appears
anxious to avoid the issue, as it has
made no reply to the various notes
[...]ceived and is understood to be hos-
[...] to Stefansson’s claims.