POLITICAL RIGHTS 



237 



government bureau which has made daily observations of the weather 

 elements there since September of that year. 



Canadian Claims 



Future territorial expansion in the Arctic seems to be open only 

 to the Canadians, the Russians, and ourselves. All three govern- 

 ments at this time are showing active interest in the situation. 



The Government of Canada in recent years, particularly since 

 1919, has been devoting much attention to its northern lands and to 



Fig. I — Map showing the hmits of pohtical sovereignty and claims in the Arctic. Scale, i: 53,000- 

 000. The basis for a given sovereignty or claim is stated on the map in accordance with the treaties, 

 conventions, or other agreements cited in the text. Unexplored areas are bounded by a dotted line. 

 (Compiled by the American Geographical Society.) 



the possibilities that lie still farther north. The Canadian budget 

 item for the "government of the North West Territories" was less 

 than $4000 in 1920; it was over $300,000 in 1924; and it doubtless 

 will continue to increase. In 1920 there were elaborate official in- 

 vestigations conducted by the so-called Reindeer and Musk-ox Com- 

 mission. In 1922, a Canadian expedition on the ship Arctic established 

 a police post, post office, and customhouse at Craig Harbor on Elles- 

 mere Island, with a personnel of seven men headed by an inspector of 

 police. This post is in latitude 76° 10' N. and longitude 81° 20' W. 

 It is interesting to note that the 1922 expedition selected near the 

 post "a site sufficiently level and smooth for an aerodrome." In 



