The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-05-17

DaDDleTS tel the SJOIy,
Seeing through the nice veneer the
naked soul?
The simple things, the true things, the
silent men who do things"
r. w. SERVICE
"A man capable of carrying out great
ideals"
So it was that the great hansen de-
scribed Amundsen the other day. Com
ing from a phlegmatic Scandinavian
one whose writings have shown that
he carefully weighs each word and
exacts a voucher for it's accuracy
this is indeed high praise. And the
ice-test of character is as severe asl
the refining of gold by fire. The world
remembers that it was Amundsen who
first navigated his little ship, the Cola,
through the North West Passage, that
goal for 500 years of British effort
with which the names of Franklin and
Mcclure are ever associated 1t is
in those dreary, monotonous months
of polar darkness, when each mans
nervous system, rebelling against UNI
natural strain, causes him to unmaskI
his inner soul that is presented the
rare chance of an X-ray examination
of a mans true character. 1t is then
that mans soul stands forth before
his fellows as naked as eventually be-
fore the seat of Final Judgment.
Few people know what these ideals
are. Amundsen is not likely to tell
you. He is the kind of man who start
les you by the announcement of actual
performance. No Boosting of what lie
will do. No parade. He just does it..
Take the way that he has achieved his
latest triumph. There was the grudg-
ingly given statement that he intend
ed to enter the lists for this inter-
national competition. Then one NOM
ing the world WOKE up to find that this
victor modestly says:-"Oh! it was
not difficult-just a sledge ride" That
was the way he described ii to me.
But then he is the same man who
said I'VE killed the dogs and ate
them" Just like that. When canine
banquet ~ Ier.ed with such meagre
mention ono Leglns to wC' "" what
the slcdge ride was like.
His Ideals are Great.
So much for his natural reticence.
Whatever his ideals, they are great
Leader Of the party which first na1i'
gated the Northwest Passage, now
the discoverer of the South Pole, this
enterprising Norwegian is again bound
northwards. For scientific investiga
ton in the Polar Sea-" Perhaps. But
same morning the world will get an
other Amundsen bomb.
This Scandinavian who does
things" and does them so startlingly
has been much maligned. Some people
have openly expressed annoyance al
his intrusion into what has become
regarded as a preserve for British ex
plorers. Every Britisher was supposed
to be born with a clear title to entel
for the South Pole Stakes. But {
Scandinavian? No. What did he wan
coming down here for, any way? Ye
the world at large will say that it wal
an open event and that the best maj
has won. And there is a touch o
romance in the story of how he came
to do 1.-THE story as given to me b!
Amundsen himself.
81 started out said Amundsen
with the idea of drifting through thu
Behring Sea to the other side of thu
North Polar Ocean. But people ar,
not easily interested in these drifts
which take several years. Funds dit
not come in readily. But had mad
up my mind, and was determined no
to be beaten. Finally ] had to d.
something absolutely rash. / had t
start off on this long voyage with wha
funds / had. How much? Well, thi
voyage has cost me less than $4,000
On the voyage racked my brains a
to how / should proceed. Then tn
inspiration came. When had prove,
myself by reaching the South Pol
my country would help me to g
north"
To reach the Behring Sea the Fran
had to go south, and it was iron
Madeira that the world first heard o
Amundsen's change of plans. Eve
then it was only hint. eve are &c
ing to the Antarctic Continent wa
the scanty information given forth