The sun., 1910-06-03
C.ntaIn scett.. Turn Vow.

The international race for the south
pole vas declared On in the end Of April.
when the National Geographic Society
notified Commander PENRT that owing
70 lack Of public interest In his proposal
to cooperate with the society in sending
an expedition TO the south pole bv way
II Weddell Land Il must be abandoned
for the present TIE Roosevelt Was TO
he used and a course laid south from the
Falkland Islands, but the required sum
of 5000 10 NEE, preliminary expenses
could not he raised. Half of the sum
was subscribed. but AZ the time the no
tice Of pOstponement was made by the
sOciety contributions had almost ceased.
Various reasOns were given by friends
and critics of Commander PEARY for the
failure Of his plan 70 anticipate British
explorers AT the south pole, but the true
reason should have been plain enough.
Thegreat controversy had wearied every
body with pole seeking. and the Ameri-
can people did not care whether the
UniOn Jack or the stars and Stripes was
planted furthest sOuth-in fact. there
was an undercurrent Of sentiment run
ming toward the British undertaking. Of
which due notice had been given to the
world. together with the plans, prepara-
tons and itinerary Of the explorers
The Tera Nova. the stout little ship
which IL to carry the party Of Captain
ROBERT Y. SCOTT R. ~. 70 the Great
Barrier, where the march toward the
pole will begin, sailed from London on
Wednesday No expedition was ever
better equipped. and following the route
traversed and mapped by SHAcKLEToN,
and prOftihg by his experience, there
IL no reason but peTvorBeneas Ol the
elements Why Il should not reach the
goal. In his esaay in ioOi-O4 Captain
SCOTT had untOWard conditions 20 con-
tend with His ship, the Discovery, did
not get az far south a. was expected
before the ice closed in around her.
which necessitated a long dash 10 the
pole. and in the end the Discovery and
her crew had 20 submit TO a rescue by
the Morning and the Terra Nova, which
had been sent out by the British Gov
ernment. Captain SCOTT. DR.. WILSON
and Lieutenant SHACKIETON reached
land in latitude so ~, up TO that time
the furthsst south, and obtained q good
view Of the mountain ranges and the
great tableland which SHAcKLETON Ave
years later was TO explore and map.
The previous furthest south, Ts' so.
BORCH0REvIHCK had placed 20 his credit
in 1900.
We have never quite understood why
Lieutenant SHAcKLEToN, who in his
later venture reached q point ninety
seven statute miles from the south pole,
declared himself out Of the second Scott
expedition. II there Ia such a thing as
poetic justice il seemed 10 require the
completion Of that last lap by the gal
liant knight and the running up Of the
colors by his own hand a. the ultimate
pole II il only on the principle Of turn
about being fair play that We can ac-
count for SHACKLETOS's stepping aside
10 allow his old cOmrade SCoTT 70 win
the prize that seems 10 be almost within
his grasp a. he prepares 10 leave for the
Antarctic.
SHACELEToN travelled 5s2 miles fur
ther south than he got with SCOTT and
WILsOS in 1903 and only the certainty
that he and his companions would leave
their bones in the frozen space that
stretched between them and the goal II
they did not turn north with the little
food left them prevented a glorious
contamination SCoTT. with the way
well marked out and the most elaborate
equipment and complete supplies an
Antarctic explorer was ever blessed
with. has 10 sledge but ninety seven
miles further than his old lieutenant IN
earn the distinction that SHACKLFTON
80 narrowly missed