stefansson-wrangel-09-31-102r

THE SUMMER OF 1923 AND THE TRAGIC NEWS 163

vessel now available in the event of the ship being frozen in.6 This
sum, to be of use, must be found immediately.

Is it possible to find some reader or readers of The “Times” to
add the sum of £2,250 to the £550 already subscribed by my
company? My directors have no financial interest in this adven-
ture, but they are anxious that these lonely men should not be
put to that supreme test which Franklin and his men failed to meet
and live. These men are as isolated as Shackleton’s men who were
taken off Elephant Island, when the British, in spite of the stress
of war, spared a ship to go to their rescue.

With reference to the dispatch, which appeared in the “Times”
to-day, I do not think that the Soviet Government would seriously
attempt to interfere with the relief ship, seeing that it is merely
going on an errand of humanity, and the question of whether or
not it succeeds in bringing the men back from Wrangel Island can
have no bearing on the ultimate nationality of the island.

Subscriptions for the Wrangel Island Relief Expedition may be
sent to Griffith Brewer, 33, Chancery-lane, W. C. 2. Should more
than is required for the relief expedition be subscribed, the balance
will, on the return of the ship, be distributed pro rata amongst all
the subscribers.

Your obedient servant,
Griffith Brewer, Managing Director
of the British Wright Company,
Limited.

33, Chancery-lane, W. C. 2, Aug. 1, 1923.

The day after Brewer’s letter appeared, several people
said to me that we were not using the best means for
securing funds. The world in general and the British
nation in particular look upon the Arctic as a very terrible
place and upon everyone who goes there as almost neces-
sarily a hero. My friends said that a plea, in orddr to be
successful, should refer to the glorious traditions of Brit-

⁶ The cabled information proved incorrect as to these being different boats;
we learned later the fact was that this was a raised price for the same boat.