stefansson-wrangel-09-15-077-001

ONTARIO COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
University of Toronto

168 Walmer Road,
Toronto, Oct. 13, 1924.

Dear Mr. Taylor:

The copy of the manuscript of "The Adventure of Wrangel
Island" reached us on October 8, 1924, page 84 is missing.

We have read the greater part of this document and find
therein a number of statements with which we do not agree, one in
particular on page 156 which begins as follows:

"Of course, the relatives and myself are of the opinion
that Mr. Noice removed the ten pages etc" We do not accuse Mr.
Noice or anyone else of removing pages from the diary. On the
advice of our lawyer we are wiring our objection to The Macmillan
Company.

I am enclosing a copy of page 137 of the Manuscript. It
would appear from the statements on this page that you and Mr.
Anderson had told Mr. V. Stefansson that Mr. Noice had related to
you things "shocking beyond belief" about the contents of Lorne
Knights' diary, that "the diary contained unbelievable revelations"
etc. We cannot conceive of Mr. Noice making such statements when
the entries in the diary would prove them to be utterly false.
We feel that possibly Mr. Noice in the stress of the moment did
not express himself very clearly and that you and Mr. Anderson being
much upset and worried by the news of the tragedy put a wrong con-
struction on Mr. Noice’s statement.

It is inconceivable that if Lorne Knight and his com-
panions had been guilty of wrong-doing that Lorne Knight would wish
to publish it to the world in his diary.

The statements on this page give an unfair impression of
you and Mr. Anderson and you should see that they are eliminated from
the book. Do you not think so?

The omitting of Fred Maurer’s last letter to his wife, dated
Jan. 29, 1923, from the book will give rise to the charge that the
author has suppressed valuable documentary evidence. This letter of
Maurer’s has already been given to the press by his widow and
published in the Toronto Star and elsewhere. The public is therefore
aware of its existence and its omission will give rise to unfavorable
criticism.

With kindest regards

J.T. Crawford,