stefansson-wrangel-09-19-024-001

J. Knight

Apr 22

March 24, 1922

Mr. V. Stefanssen
New York City, N.Y.

Dear Mr. Stefanssen;

I am herewith handing you a notice of Lorne's dues in the
Explorer's club which, I do not know whether it should be
paid or, owing to his absence, is it worth while.

I am asking the local Elks Lodge of which he is a member, to
grant him an absolute demit for the reason that, should he
become a brithish British subject, this will automatically
dismiss him from the order and, there can be no affiliation with
the order outsdie the United States and this will retain his
standing when he returns and wishes to re affiliate with this
or some other lodge.

I am not certain but the same may apply with his membership in
this club and I am leaving the matter to you.

A shipment of your books has arrived at the local stationers
and I have the first one and we find it very interesting and
especially is Joseph interested in it. He is one of the best
boosters you have any where and his greatest regret is that
he can not be with you and imbibe of your spirit of doing things.

We have had a great deal of interest among th e friends of Lorne an
and his parents, in the item that has appeared in the press as
to the taking over of Wrangle Island and I was called on in the
Elks Lodge last noght to tell them about it and its significance.
I told them that I believed that it was the one thing that was
destined to make of this the greatest Norther Expedition because
of the fact that, you had, through your expedition, did a great
thing for the British Government, without request on their part
which would surely get for you greater support from the British
Government than you had ever had and this meant greatness for the
expedition.

We only regret that, we know so little of the plans of the expe-
dition but this is your business and not ours and yet, we are
deeply interested. Some have suggested that this would be the
completion of the mission of the expedition and that we might
expect th them to return next summer but, I have not held to
this view.