stefansson-wrangel-09-11-030-004

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to be reasonably certain should commence early enough in the season
so that a good period may be seized whenever in the summer it happens to
come. This is our plan for the coming summer. We hope to charter the
Teddy Bear, or some similar ship, to be on the lookout for any opening
leading towards Wrangel Island that may occur after, say, the 10th of
July.

The operations of the Teddy Bear the summer 1922 are covered in
the interview with Captain Bernard, forwarded day before yesterday.

You will note in Captain Bernard’s report that he carried
three white men and some Eskimos. The instructions to the Wrangel Island
party were that those of the original party who wanted to leave Wrangel
Island might do so and those who cared to stay might stay. In case the
entire party wanted to come out, the three white men and Eskimos sent
in with the Teddy Bear in 1922 were to continue the occupation of the
Island. But the probability was that either Mr. Knight or Mr. Maurer,
if not both, would want to continue in Wrangel Island, in which case the
new men sent in would have been under their command.

The recent announcement made by Admiral Moffett, of the United
States Air Service, about sending an American dirigible around the
earth from north to south, emphasizes the importance of continuing the
occupation of Wrangel Island. I hope the Government will be willing to
take over the enterprise from us now and continue it. But in any case
it is my intention to do my best to make permanent the colony on Wrangel
Island through appeals to private men of public spirit, in case the
Government still feels reluctant.