16 JUNE 1923, Page 3

We publish to-day the second, and last, of Dr. Stefansson's

articles. If Dr. Stefansson is right, as we believe he is, in saying that the atmosphere of the Polar regions is admirably suited to flying, Wrangell Island, to which Great Britain has a clear claim, would be a first-rate depot for aircraft. As the Russian Bolsheviks are now obviously in a bending frame of mind, there seems to be an excellent oppor- tunity for asking them to acknowledge that Wrangell Island belongs to us and not to them. Nobody here, of course, wants the trouble, danger and expense of defending a disputed territory. From the point of view of trade, the permanent occupation by us of Wrangell Island would, as a matter of fact, be a real advantage to Russia.