stefansson-wrangel-09-38-001-001

MEMORANDUM REGARDING THE BRITISH PARTY

ISOLATED SINCE SEPTEMBER 1921 ON WRANGELL ISLAND

IN THE ARCTIC SEA.

It is well known that those who are once associated with
Arctic voyages become permanently infatuated with the North.
The summer of 1921 a number of us became convinced that the
British Empire was likely to lose Wrangell Island through
occupation by the Japanese. They were said to be pushing
steadily northward into Siberia, and we took it for granted that
the value of all Arctic islands as base stations for aviation
a nd radio would soon become evident to such a forward-looking
people. I had been able to create a certain amount of interest
on the part of the Canadian Government, but they finally
postponed the desired expedition until 1922. Since our
immediate right to Wrangell Island rested upon the work of my
own expedition in 1914, it was clear that if the Japanese
were to occupy the island late in 1921 or early in 1922
ahead of any fresh British enterprise, an Internationa 1
Court was likely to award possession to the Japanese on the
recognised principles of international law. My former
companions urged me to organise an expedition and rehoist the
British flag on the island and keep it there against the time
that the Empire would realise the value of all the Arctic islands