stefansson-wrangel-09-21-021-001

September 12th 1923.

Dear Noice,

I was delighted to hear from Taylor that the Toronto
Star is inviting you to come here as their guest. I have
wired Taylor that I hope you will accept, but that I also
hope you will find the time to call on the Knights at
McMindille before going east.

We must keep our eyes on whatever silver lining there
is to the Wrangell Island cloud. For one thing the tragedy
has removed some of the previous apathy. The public interest
has created a market value for the story. My view is that
the diaries should be made the basis of a complete and en-
lightening account, both of Wrangell Island itself and what
happened there. None of the proceeds must go to any one of
us who have been associated with this work, but either to
the relatives of the boys or for some memorial. I have
wired Taylor and Le Bourdais to pass on to you the sugges-
tion that you ought to make lecture arrangements with the
Affiliated. I do not see the same objection to that as
there is to selling articles or books about Wrangell Island.
The things the boys believed in, worked for and eventually
died for, can certainly gain nothing by being now abandonded.
Both the publications and the lecturing will help.

Taylor will show you a long letter I am writing him to-
day. According to my doubtless unfortunate custom I am saying
little about the many things that you have done as well as
anyone could and am pointing out the little slips you have
made (so far as England is concerned, at least) and how to
avoid them later. The reason for pointing them out is, of
course, that otherwise a repetition of them could not be so
easily avoided. You should of course give your real opin-
ions in order to protect the feelings of relatives and
intimate friends. In the long run, the truth will cause the
least pain if moderately stated, giving those who made mis-
takes the benefit of every doubt.

In other words, my idea is that telling the truth with
charity should be the rule.