Evening star., 1922-01-22
ny EDWARD MARSHALL.

Capt RoaId Amundsen, was
talking to me in New York
hotel about the new. perilous
and scientifically important expedition
on which he is about to make his start.
Out Of doors the snow swirled.
ITS too warm here" said the big,
bluff Norwegian. good naturediy out
discontentedly. looking out OF. the
window at a rather exceptionally
frozen New York city. Cant get
your breath here for the heat"
1 shivered. But in an adjoining
room the two far-northern children,
one pure Eskimo aud one half-bred,
whom theAcaptain has brought down
from the north and is sending to his
sister -in-law in Norway to be brought
up as they should be, had been worse
worried even than hes is by steam
heat ever since they had been in New
York city.
Not content to rest upon his laurels
as victor over one of the two greatest
difficulties in the world, Capt. Amund-
sen is intensely enthusiastic over his
preparations for return to snow, ice
and trackless, frozen seas. for the
1nOSt JouihSS SSA
schemed by an informed man, the
journey in the course Of which. he
hopes, his ship will drift across the
north pole. thus enabling him and
the scientists who will accompany
him to complete mans general
knowledge of the arctic situation.
u: x r x
THIS journey will be far more than
a mere remaking of the North
west Passage, which Capt. Amundsen
was also first to do. 1t was in 1903
1904 that he accomplished that
achievement, which for centuries had
and had lured many to their death.
The impending journey" declared
Capt AmundSen, will be principally
valuable. strange as this may seem. to
the farmers of the world. The next
greatest beneficiaries will be the
worlds navigators."
This reach of interest and the link
between the man who sails the sea
and him who tills the soil was baf-
fling. The great explorer saw that /
was puzzled.
Those two groups" said he, "are
those most interested in the weather.
The dependence of the farmer and the
sailor upon weather is almost abso-
Lutte. I hope this journey will reveal
much about terrestrial weather in Hhe
making"
His next statement was almost as
startling as that which he had -'st
made had been battling.
Remember that this man is going
to the worlds remotest corners. to
uncharted spaces. where no man ever
has been before and where. therefore,
are no telegraph signs or telephonic
blue bells: he is going to sail on seas
of which the water. as he explained
a moment later, is too confined by ice
to permit the penetration even of
those scarce rays of light which are
essential to the lowest forms of crude.
deep-sea animal life.
ut is not the cc'd but the lack of
light which excludes animal life from
the ice-roofed waters Of both polar
regions" Capt. Amundsen explained.
Now for the statement which
amazed me:
II shall send daily reports upon the
weather to the Norwegian govern
ment. 1t will receive them, probably,
each night and morning."
1t was no wild statement, though it
did take away the breath of one who
long had fed upon the literature of
the arctic IN which ever has been
emphasized the loneliness of the ex-
plorers. from the days of Kane to
those Of Perry-their utter inaccessi-
bility.
have friend who but few years
since was in the north withSteffans-
son. He made a thrilling and heroic
journey across many miles of ice by
dog-sledge. till his dogs died OF ex-
haustion. and after that upon his own
terrifically frozen feet, to get mes
sage of the sinking OF the Karluk.
Steffansson's sturdy ship. to the outer
world.
Yet Amundsen spoke Of communi-
eating daily with his government in
Norway!
WELL, why not! These are the days
Of wireless. Capt. Amundsen will
be perfectly equipped with wireless
in the frozen north. There will be
no reason why he should not send his
daily telegraphic messages and re-
ceive replies.
1t is not inconceivable that he
might and will equip his ship with
wireless telephone apparatus, ena-
bling him actually to converse with
those at home.
cat any rate, whether I telegraph
or telephone" said Capt. Amundsen,
my family will hear from me each
from the old days. eh?
my daily reports upon the weather
to the Norwegian government" Capt.
Amundsen continued. will be timed
SO that they will reach the scientists
OF my own country night and morn
ing. BY the Norwegian government
these reports will be distributed to
all parts of the world, I understand.
They will help weather observers
elsewhere very greatly. My expedi-
tion really is a governmental enter
prise, you know.
"The grant Of 100000 kroner which
finances it was made by a unanimous
vote. an event perhaps unprecedented
OF any legislature. Even the social
lists voted for it. This unanimity of
enthusiasm in my own country was
the greatest compliment ever paid to
me.
.And believe that the reports
which shall send back to the busy
regions where men congregate from
the frozen regions where will be our