THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1924. WRANGELL ISLAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19282, 20 September 1924, Page 8

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1924. WRANGELL ISLAND.

It turns out to'be an authentic story which came recently from Seattle to the effect that a Russian vessel, the Red October, had been, seen making for Wrangell Island, bent upon establishing Russian ownership of the territory. ■ We are now told that the Soviet flag was hoisted on the island on August 20. The Soviet Government, which set up a claim to the island when it was annexed by Dr Stefansson on behalf of Great Britain, has been fairly prompt in taking advantage of the edrenmstance that the territory, so far as is known, had been' left once again without occupants. Wrangell Island has of recent years begun to acquire a picturesque history, thanks , largely to the zealous effort of Dr Stefansson to incorporate it within the British Empire. It lies about 100 miles off the Siberian coast, north of Behring Straits, and is 80 miles long and 35 miles wide. Dr Stefansson has briefly summarised the early records relating to its existence. From these it is gathered that it was first discovered in 1849 by Captain Kellett, of the British Navy, when cruising in the Polar Ocean in H.M.S. Herald. It was called ‘‘Kellett Land,” being thought to be portion of a vast continent then supposed to occupy the North Polar area. Twenty years later Captain Long, an American, when whaling in those seas, came across what he took to he new land and suggested that it be given the name “Wrangell Land” in honour of Baron Wrangell—a Swede in Russian service—who had been searching in vain for territory that was reported to exist Further to the westward. The insularity of “Kellett Land” was determined by the experiences of the famous and tragic Jeannette expedition, fitted out by the New York Herald. The two search vessels sent out to look for the Jeannette’s survivors both touched at the island, and maps were made of it to which the Americans assigned the name Wrangell Island, which thereafter came into gradual acceptance in lieu of “Kellett Land.” Wrangell Island was originally British, no doubt by right of discovery. But it is a principle of international law, Dr Stefansson . has pointed out, that a claim arising through discovery or exploration must be followed up within a reasonable time by exploration and occupation. Otherwise the claim lapses. A “reasonable period” has usually been considered to be five years. The British claim which arose in 1849 would thus lapse in 1854. The Americans, therefore, had a perfect right to hoist the United States flag and proclaim the island part of American territory. Great Britain was not perturbed over the matter* doubtless deeming the territory of no value. Apparently the Americans themselves took a similar view of it, for they were quite content to neglect their newly-acquired possession. By the principle under which the British title was lost in 1854, the American title, Dr Stefansson argues, was lost in 1886. No landing seems to have been made on the island for thirty-three years after the American visit. Then in 1913 came the Canadian Arctic Expedition under Dr Stefansson’s command, and the Union Jack was hoisted on Wrangell Island on July 1, 1914, as part of a formal ceremony of reasserting British rights. Buij again the principle intervened that a right so acquired lapses by protracted neglect, and in 1919 the island became a “no man’s land” once more. It was after this that the story of the island began to develop its more dramatic complexion. Failing to convince th« Canadian Government of the necessity

for haste in the despatch of another expedition, and apprehensive of an early move on the part of the Japanese with designs upon Wrangell Island, Dr Stefansson decided to act upon his own initiative. Through his personal efforts a secret expedition, consisting of four men, with a young Canadian named Crawford in command, proceeded to Alaska, and chartered the schooner Silver Wave, which landed the four adventurers and a few Eskimos on Wrangell Island in September, 1921. Again the Union Jack was hoisted, the party remaining this time in occupation of the territory. The tragic sequel to this adventure was made known last year when a relief ship was sent to the island. The only living person found there was the Eskimo woman who had been the seamstress of the expedition. The others had perished, apparently in an attempt to reach the mainland, though the exact manner of their fat© will probably never he known. In any case, according to the principle of intemar tional law relied npon by Dr Stefansson, nothing has happened to interfere with the validity of the British claim to Wrangell Island if it were pressed. It be remembered, however, that there was a protest on the part of the Moscow Government against the raising of the British flag on the island in j|j.92l, and apparently it was indito Russia a few months ago that f there was no objection on the part of Great Britain to the island becoming Russian property. Dr Stefansson does not claim that Wrangell Island possesses much commercial value, though “probably the greatest polar bear country in the world." His interest in the island has been aroused by his belief that the Polar Ocean is destined to become one of the chief theatres of air commerce. “In that new era," he says, “we may come to need badly a supply station under our own flag somewhere on the northern frontier of Asia. Every other island on the northern frontier of Asia is clearly the property of some other nation, either by discovery or occupation, but this one spot is clearly ours. If we let it go now we shall have no second chance at it.” It cannot be said that the famous explorer’s representations ever aroused in the British Government a responsive fervour for the assertion of its claims to Wrangell Island. No doubt the explanation of that constitutes another story.