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THE ADVENTURE OF
WRANGEL ISLAND

Chapter I

The Background of the Story

The story of Wrangel Island has developed into
adventure and tragedy, but it began in a new scientific
conception of the nature of the earth as a whole and the
relative position and importance upon it of the so-called
arctic regions. It hinges also upon the developments in
aeronautics, which began twenty years ago last Decem-
ber, when the Wright Brothers flew at Kittyhawk, North Carolina.

“As impossible as flying” and “as worthless as —
Arctic” were solemn figures of speech at the beginning
of our century. The first is now ridiculous; the second
is beginning to be questioned even by the general public—
otherwise the value and ownership of Wrangel Island
would not have occupied so much space during the last
two years in the newspapers, those faithful mirrors of
the interests of the average man.

The newspapers have been telling us that at least three
great countries—Great Britain, the United States and
Russia—have legal claims to Wrangel Island, and are
either pressing those claims or considering whether the
intrinsic or positional value of the island may justify
pressing them later. Such public interest and such inter-
national negotiations would not be conceivable if the

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