The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-05-05
ArrrR THE soUru roLr.

Of late years the North Pole has attracted so much attention that com paratively little has been said about plorers. scientists and sdventurers all seem wrapped up in the Northern regions and have to great extent neglected the Southern, but in former times. even extending to the present generation, there were constant but futile attempts to penetrate and unfold the mysteries of that great unknown region within and beyond the Antar- tic circle. As early as 15ss Dutch vessel made a Southward voyage. com marded by Admiral Mahee, tut it only reached as far South as s4 degrees. After him came noted explorers like La Roche. Kerguden, and others. but they got little further South, and three quarters of a century was spent in such ventures without any material success.
 The famous voyager, Captain Cook, spent several years in explo :ation, dis covering various islands and points of land and ice, but did not succeed in adding any material knowledge to what was already known. During a century or more after Cooks voyages others have tried by every means known to science and navigation to penetrate the silence and mystery supposed to exist about the South Pole, but success has not crowned their ef- fcrts. We believe one expedition reached nearly as far South as eighty degrees, but this is a long way from the desired point. and several hum dred miles farther from it than has been reached in the search for the North pole.
 Now, while Peary. wellman and other enthusiasts are preparing for otber ventures toward the North, there arises a wealthy enthusiast away down in the Argentine Republic, who proposes to have the South Pole dis covered, or know the reason why. He Is a wealthy cattleman and he states that he is willing to spend at least five million dollars towards the &C., complishment of his object. He ex- poets to get governmental assistance. and it can easily be believed that with such liberal outlay of money there is at least hope of success, if indeed success Is humanly possible.
 Heretofore, as is we'll known, the efforts in this direction have been what may be called spasmodic, frequent though they have been. In short, there has been no combined and sys- tematic plans pursued, but Don Philip, the wealthy Argentinean, will go at it in a business like manner. To state it briefly. as we learn from contem- porary. "he proposes to send out re- lief ships at regular intervals, and keep up constant communication be- tween the explorers and certain Ar ger tine ports. Certainly 1t would seem that if it is possible to wrest from the southern ice waste its final secret Don PhiIlipe is going at the task in the most promising way. And in this connection 1t may be said that il is not impossible that in the races for the two poles the Southern may be reached before the Northern" | This sounds like business we must say, and something may come of 1t. | It does not mean to send out a single | ship, to be entirely separated from its base of supplies, to take its chances in what may be a region of eternal snow and ice, where in case of disaster there can be little hope of human aid or succor. His plan of keeping up a line of communication with the ad- vanced guard. as We may call it is only what a wise general does when 1 tile region. If disaster hefalls the l foremost ship of this expedition the l fact will be communicated back to 1 the stations in the rear and needed | help or relief can be sent forward l The foolish idea of a dash to the | Pole" doesn't appeal to hun. but his plan is systematic and promising. The adva!-ce may be slow, end success, fl | it comes at all, may be delayed fol years, but 1t certainly looks like g 1 business proposition, and in our judg-
 ment is the most promising one that has yet been outlined. Will it not bt something of a joke on the Nortt l Pole enthusiasts if he succeeds before l any of them do?