Arizona republican., 1898-08-22
ANTARCTIC EXPLORATION
Why the English Government De-
 CIined to Send an Expedition.

London, Aug 21-In spite of urging Of gaographers and men Of science gen orally, the government has declined tu Antarctic. When the Royal society urged the project upon Lord Salisbury last winter it built hopes upon the pre- miers personal interest in scientific research. Lord Salisbury pottering in his laboratory at Hatfield and Lord Salisbury the prime minister with a prudent chancellor of the excheuuer by his side, are, however two differ ent persons. Sir Michael Hicks-Beach has no money to spare fer the unsser- taking and MT. Goschen, speaking far the navy. neither ships nor men. Ac- cordingly the premier has intimateS to the geographers that the signs of the times are so ominous and ordinary naval work so exactirg that the ad- miralty can lend no aid The disap- pointed have little the advantage of the marquis in their retort that "the maritime supremacy Of Great Britain must be founded upon a quicksand H 1t cannot spare eight CT nine lieuten- ants to enable it to maintain its su- premacy in maritime discovery: hut
 
 ernment will not cooperate in an Ant arctic expedition Whether the joint influence of the Royal society and the Geographical society, which is consid- erable, can find means for the yentnre Tn private subscription remains to be seen More probably they will let the project languish.
 Meanwhile one of those semi-scien- 6x-nr s~. which it is the fashion O rich and am bilious publishers to equip is preparing to sail to the Antarctic Sir George Newnes appears to have resigned thr quest of the Americas cup to Sir Thomas Iipton Perhaps such g tro- phy of sport sorts better with tea and extract of beef than it does with the publication of six-penny magazines. MT. Harmsworth, his rival. who has not yet been knighted, sends expedi- tions to the Arctic. Sir George. ae- cOrdingly, is preparing to send one ta the Antarctic. He commissioned the builders of the Tram to construct the Southern Cross on the same lines that they followed so successfully in Nan sens ship. She is now in London talk ing aboard stores and every device that ingenuity and experience hays contrived for the amelioration of life and effective exploration in high kati- tudes. All sorts of food have been converted into essences or compressed into tins. All sorts of medicines have been concentrated in tablets. Proper garments have been collected in north ern attitudes, and a pack of Esquimaux dogs are to journey on the Southern Cross from the Arctic to the Antarctic Needless to say everything has been duly advertised and exhibited here in London. It is the way of such expe- ditions. Happily Sir George has given the command to MT. Borchgrevink. the young Norwegian who has already done some exploring in the Antarctic and who, when he was in America a few years ago, seemed well fitted for such work. As yet he has made no statement of his plans, but his ship is full of appliances for meteorologicM observation. and the collection and the preservation of Antarctic flora ann fauna Under his direction the expedi- tion should do more serious and last ing work than the furnishing of pie- lures and articles to the Strand maun- zinc.