The New York herald., 1921-05-01

At a recent meeting OF the Royal Geo.
graphical Society the organization and
equipment OF the Mount Everest expe-
dition, which It is expected Will be col
lected in Darjeeling in the early part OF
May and begin the preliminary work OF
the ascent on May IA, were discussed
by members of the expedition and OF the
committee having this matter In charge
The addresses made at this meeting were
reported in the Geographical Journal for
April 1. from which the extracts which
follow are taken.
Lieutenant Colonel Sir Francis Young
husband, president OF the committee
stating the object OF the expedition, said
that for thirty years at least, that is
since General Bruce first put forward
the idea. men have had the ambition 10
ascend the highest point on the earth.
L is a very natural and praiseworthy
ambition: General Rawling and many
Of the Alpine Club have entertained ~.
Lord Curzon also intended to further
this ambition and suggested, when he
was Viceroy of India. that this society
and the Alpine Club should take the
matter up together And the advantage
that will come from ascending Mount
Everest Is this-that once the highest
peak has been climbed men will pluck
up courage to ascend all manner OF
other mountains. Even to the obtuse
mass of humanity it will then be evident
that men are capable of higher achieve
ment than they had ever imagined.
AS to the advantages of mountain
climbing in general a Frenchman few
days ago bore striking testimony. Speak
ing in London at the Institut Fran
Gals M. Leon Berard, Minister of Public
Instruction, told how his countrynlen had
shared with Chateaubriand dislike OF
mountains, but that the example OF the
English cured them of their prejudice
beauty Of their country. By going In
among great mountains, climbing them,
getting to know them thoroughly. enter
ing into their spirit. there are beauties
to be found in mountains Of which the
pie ainsman never dreams So the ascent
of Mount Everest. by stimulating noun
tain climbing In general. will bring more
beauty to light. And beauty is one
of the worlds greatest riches.
Outlining tho plans Colonel Howard
Bury, chief OF the expedition. said that
while the main object Is the ascent Of
Everest, there are many important sub
sidiary objects to be attained. The whole
country to the north Of Everest is COM
pletely unknown. The maps wc have
are all very problematical, and where
you see a range of mountains marked
in the map you may find 1T is a valley
or lake.
THE Government of India" Colonel
Bury said. has given US the loan Of
two officers Of the Survey of India, both
accustomed to mountain survey. and
with them we shall have to work and
map the whole of that country to the
north of Everest. as well as tho Mount
Everest group; this alone would furnish
a full summers work. With these off,
cers will be assistant surveyors and a
great deal of work has to be done. The
Arun valley is probably quite wrongly
to the exact position of those ranges of
mountains marked to the north of Ever
est The craftsman who compiled the
map told me they were put in to fll UP.
I'VE have a good botanist and natural
list, and there is every probability Of our
discovering many new flowers but that
very much depends on how far the mon
soon currents penetrate UP the Arun
valley. 1t Is extraordinary on those dry
plains, which look so barren in the
photographs, what beautiful flowers there
are-most lovely rock plants, blue pop
pies, primulas and all kinds OF delight
fui flowers. There is also the geological
work. We are probably getting either
an officer or assistants from the Gov
ernment OF India for making a geologi-
cal collection. We know there are a
large number OF animals up there. You
get Owls ammon, one of the largest
sheep in the world: possibly an antelope,
certainly a gazelle and partridges, and
there is a great field for naturalist.
Some Of the members of the expedition
are leaving very soon. and we all hope
to collect in DarJeeling In the middle
Of May and to leave by the 18th.
"The Government OF India is kindly
giving US the loan of 100 mules for the
expedition. This will be of the very
greatest assistance to us. and we know
now we shall have no difficulties with
ths transport. Lord Ronaldshay, the
Governor OF Bengal. Is extremely inter-
ested in the expedition. and we are lucky
in having him there. Colonel O'Connor
is political agent in Sikkim, and his
duties carry him right up into Tibet
He was with Sir Francis Younghusband
In the expedition OF 1904. There Is a
very elaborate Photographic equipment
going out with the expedition. so that
we hope to bring back many records
Unfortunately the camera cannot re-
produce the extraordinary beauties of
color there are I'm Tibet-sreens and reds
and orange under a brilliant blue clear
sky"
The leader Of the mountain party.
Harold Raeburn. believed that while the
mountaineering difficulties were great,
they could be overcome by careful organ
ization OF the transport service. Con-
unuing he said:
mo one has oven seen tho real ap-
proaches to Everest, because its lower
Slopes have been always concealed by
the shoulders and slopes OF It's mighty
nelghbors. I do not think the northern
Ill