stefansson-wrangel-09-20-083-002

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reasons as you feel them, but my view is that there are at least two good
ones. First, the letter contains a good many intimate things addressed
personally to Fred's wife and it would not create a very good impression
to publish parts of the letter. But the chief reason is that the letter
creates an unpleasant impression in that it shows that for the moment
Fred was inclined to believe that Lorne Knight was shamming illness.
Lorne's subsequent illness and death show that Fred was in this case mis-
taken. I am sure if he had lived he would have been anxious to suppress
the letter and I think we ought to feel the same way now that he is dead.

As I reason it out, speaking again in strict confidence,
Mrs. Crawford's real motive is that she wants to have people infer from
Fred's suspicion of Lorne's motives that Fred, and probably the others, dis-
trusted Lorne and were justified in doing so. I feel sure you will agree
with me, however, that this must have been only a temporary situation.
Lorne's diary is frank to a fault and there is no indication in the whole
diary that there was ever any friction between him and Fred or between Fred
and Crawford. The only friction mentioned, as you remember, is between
Fred and Galle the first week after they landed. This seems to have been
smoothed out and does not appear ever to have recurred.

It would be almost miraculous, if not unbelievable,
that four men should live together for nearly two years without having any
friction at all. I don't suppose there ever was a polar expedition that
had so little. It might seem to follow from that consideration that it
would do no harm to publish this indication of friction. That might be
true if the public were ever logical, but they will remember that Lorne
was really ill at the time when Fred thought he was shamming. According
to their bent, some will blame Fred for unworthy suspicions of his comrade
and others will see in it evidence that Fred distrusted Knight and that
Knight was, therefore, presumably not reliable. Either impression is a
bad one to leave in the minds of readers, especially at the end of a book.

This matter is so urgent that I would send a telegram
except that it is too complicated. I am sending this letter special
delivery. As the book will have to go to press next week, I am hoping you
will lose no time in writing to Mrs. Crawford. Meantime, I am going
ahead on the assumption that the letter will be left out.

Thanks for your advice about shortening and changing
the Noice chapter. We had already come to the same conclusion before your
letter arrived, but I am glad to have your confirmation. Our view now is
to omit Noice from the story so far as we can.

Mr. John Maurer,
New Philadelphia, Ohio.