Letter from Vilhjalmur Stefansson to Alfred J. T. Taylor, 10 July 1922

I have just received here your letter of June 29. I have been putting off writing you because I have been hoping every day for some development.

I wired Stewart last night to the effect that I had spent [: ahead] both all I had and all that I could borrow, and that as I had done this for patriotic purposes (when I feared action from Ottawa would not come in time to save Wrangel Island) and as failure of our enterprise was now inevitable unless the government gave us a lease or (as I preferred) refunded us money actually spent, [: we must] have prompt decision from Ottawa. I should hear from this telegram and should be able to [: ?] the answer to you before you get this letter.