Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-28
IN RACE FOR POLE FOOD IN AMERICA
Scott and Amundsen Rivals at
Bottom of the World.
ARE IN THE SAME SPHERE
Question of Polar Etiquet Discussed
by Sir Ernest Shackleton.
Both Well Equipped.

LONDON. March cs.-Startling news re-
ceived from Capt. r. F. Scott. the Brit
ish explorer. who is seeking to reach the
south pole, declares there is competi-
tor in the race in the person of Amund-
sen, the Norwegian. whose past record
makes him doughty rival.
Capt. Scott's ship. the Terra Nova.
which returned to New Zealand yester-
day, after landing sledge parties on the
ice. brings messages from the captain
himself and from his second lieutenant.
The latter relates how he found in Ice
land bay the Fran, Amundsen's ship, and
a Norwegian party fully equipped for the
journey to the south pole.
The plan of the British expedition is to
separate into two parties, which will go
south toward the pole by different routes.
Thus there is every prospect of a race
southwark of the two British and one
Norwegian party. This new development
adds enormously to the excitement at
tending Capt. SCOTS enterprise.
Shackleton Gives Views.
Sir Ernest Shackleton, the explorer,
writing in the Daily Mail on the race,
says the news received last night is in
teresting in more senses than one, though
from the telegram he is somewhat at a
loss to decide definitely two most i'm
portant points.
According to the telegram he says,
Scott landed at Cape Evans, fourteen
miles north Of the explorers winter quar-
ters and about eight miles south of the
winter quarters Of my expedition. l
know Of no Cape Evans in this locality,
and can only suppose the winter quarters
were established on one Of the islands
about eight miles south of our winter
quarters.
Amundsen Changed Plans.
Fran. carrying Amundsen's antarctic ex-
petition, was in the bay, and that on
board her were eight men. sixteen Green
land dogs and full equipment for the
journey to the pole. The telegram says
that stores We're landed and hut erect
ed two miles from the ship. after which
Capt. Scotts ship, Terra Nova, left for
McMurdO sound.
1T is not therefore clear from the
telegram as to whether the hut and stores
were landed and erected by the Terra
Nova crew or by that OF the Fran.
I'm April, 1909. Amundsen published in
geographical journals and other papers
exhaustive details of his proposed north
polar expedition. He left Norway osten-
SlDiS u pIOCccO Via SdPe I1OIu dHu A1SA-
ing straits to the north polar basin.
"On arriving at Madeira in October he
announced he had changed his plans and
was going to try to reach the south pole.
FROM that day nothing more had been
heard of Amundsen's expedition until to-
day. We now learn he landed in an ac-
cessible place, evidently with the inten-
ton of accomplishing the object fore
Swallowed in his Madeira telegram
Race Becomes Interesting.
"Now for the question which will nat
urally exercise the mind of the general
public: Who will reach the pole first,
Scott or Amundsen?
Ice conditions will be much the same
for both. Amundsen is wintering in the
sphere of Scott's expedition and SCOTS
plans were fully announced before his
departure. One of SCOTS parties is win
tering in the area which DR.. .Mawson, the
Australian explorer, who will shortly
start, included in his sphere of explora-
ton.
IF he makes a bee line for the pole on
the chance Of finding some other way
over the formidable mountain chain that
bars the approach to the goal he is i'm
mediately confronted with an unknown
quantity. The devil, you know is better
than the devil you don't know, so thus I
should expect him to go by the Beard
more glacier"