stefansson-wrangel-09-27-005

50

During the last three hundred years the British have done as
much northern exploration as all other European nations combined. Accordingly
they had already the moral claim of discovery and exploration to most of the
islands north of America and to some islands north of Asia. I argued it was
important for Canada to continue the exploration of these islands and to do what-
ever was necessary to make it clear to the world that they valued them and
intended to keep them permanently. It was also important to explore the areas
thus far never traversed, both to accumulate information and to acquire discovery
rights to any islands that might be found. I thought that five years probably,
and ten years inevitably, would see the clear dawn of a normal popular under-
standing of the Arctic. Then would begin a possibly jealous competition among
nations as to which could discover and claim the new islands and as to which had
the right to hold permanently territoriesislands that had been so long neglected by their
discoverers that they had become no-man's land, open for occupation by whatever
country might prove sufficiently enterprising.

There were many in Canada who had views similar to mine, and
several who were sufficiently interested to urge them upon the Government.
Between us we spent an aggregate of weeks talking to Cabinet ministers and
politicians, we wrote reams of semi-confidential letters of argument, we begged
and implored. Then came the minor good fortune that one of the European
nations through diplomatic channels cast some doubt upon the validity of Canadian
claims to a certain "Canadian" arctic islands. This kindled interest, for it is
human nature to want whatever someone else wants. The Government actually began
to spend money, and the plans of an expedition on a great scale took shape.

Then arose a most unfortunate controversy as to who should be the
controlling personality in these expeditions. Had there been a clear victory
for one or the other of the two chief candidates, all might have been well. But
the worst possible happened. An approximately equal support for each developed

50

During the last three hundred years the British have done as
much northern exploration as all other European nations combined. Accordingly
they had already the moral claim of discovery and exploration to most of the
islands north of America and to some islands north of Asia. I argued it was
important for Canada to continue the exploration of these islands and to do what-
ever was necessary to make it clear to the world that they valued them and
intended to keep them permanently. It was also important to explore the areas
thus far never traversed, both to accumulate information and to acquire discovery
rights to any islands that might be found. I thought that five years probably,
and ten years inevitably, would see the clear dawn of a normal popular under-
standing of the Arctic. Then would begin a possibly jealous competition among
nations as to which could discover and claim the new islands and as to which had
the right to hold permanently territoriesislands that had been so long neglected by their
discoverers that they had become no-man's land, open for occupation by whatever
country might prove sufficiently enterprising.

There were many in Canada who had views similar to mine, and
several who were sufficiently interested to urge them upon the Government.
Between us we spent an aggregate of weeks talking to Cabinet ministers and
politicians, we wrote reams of semi-confidential letters of argument, we begged
and implored. Then came the minor good fortune that one of the European
nations through diplomatic channels cast some doubt upon the validity of Canadian
claims to a certain "Canadian" arctic islands. This kindled interest, for it is
human nature to want whatever someone else wants. The Government actually began
to spend money, and the plans of an expedition on a great scale took shape.

Then arose a most unfortunate controversy as to who should be the
controlling personality in these expeditions. Had there been a clear victory
for one or the other of the two chief candidates, all might have been well. But
the worst possible happened. An approximately equal support for each developed