Evening star., 1924-06-22

TINE following is a brief sum-
mary of the most important
news of the world for the
seven days ended June 21.
X X
The British Empire.-The expedi-
ton to scale Mount Everest has been
baff1ed again. 1t will be recalled how
the attempt, in the early days OF
May, to establish the Alpine base
(north col, No 4, camp $4,000 feet
was fofled by sudden development OF
frightful weather conditions, lnciud-
ing heavy snow falls, and how on
May IL, when it became apparent
that for at least a week ahead, even
should the Alpine base be established,
ascent therefrom would be Impossible,
retreat to the lower camps Chose
below No 81 was ordered On the
18th the climbing party was back
at No :. The stage from No. to
No. 4. always the most dangerous
hit of the mountain, if you excepi
the final 1000 feet, was now rendered
esnecially hazardous by the treacn-
erous new snow To negotiate II
without a catastrophe like that OF
1922 (when seven porters were killed
by an avalanche) would be hhe
niece of mountain tactics.
But on the 21st the feat was
,ccomplished. Three Englishmen
(Someryell, Hazard and lrVlne) win
twelve porters surmounted the mort
col and pitched camp on the old SITE.
Somervell and Irvine, then descenoeo
to camp No. to report but, 49,
a heavy snowfall began at pm
and continued for twenty-Six hourS.
On the 23d another contingent OF Two
Rritons and sixteen porters starteo
from No. 5, but the ascent was iounu
impracticable for the porters ana tney
raturned Hazard meanwhile, his food
sunply exhausted, had decided TO
evacuate No. 4. He arrived at NO. 3
at 5 nm. on the 23d, but with only
twelve of his porters. The other Tour
finding the going bad, and remember,
ing the disaster of 1922 had returned
to No. T. And the snow had come
on again, heavier than ever. More
over, the cold had been unprecedented
(twenty-four below on the night of
The terrific upward struggle of
the 23d. the cold, the binding
strength, but moro important the
morale of the porters. Obviously the
final dash was out of the question
for another week. A second retreat
TO lEe lower CtfIlpS "dS
But meantime the marooned detach-
ment at No. must be rescued. on
the Gath Mallory ascended to No.
and by a. combination of bullying and
cajolery got the scared porters down
to No. 3, and the same day the
retreat to the lower camps was ef-
fected. Writing at No. / camp on
May Is, Col. Norton, leader of the
expedition. expressed a, fear that the
monsoon was on them weeks ahead
of the usual time. He hoped, how
ever, that what had baffied them and
only a preliminary current to be
followed by real spell of fine
weather" Unfortunately the personnel
of the climbing party had been re-
duced by casualties, the strength of
the remaining effectiveness had sadly
been impaired, the morale of the
porters was a serious question. One
more attempt would be made-the
last Despite all, there was still good
prospect of success. But time wears
on. 1t was on May 25, 1922, that
Finch and Geoffrey Bruce started
from the north column on the dash
that brought them within 100 feet
of the summit Another effort on
June z was defeated with heavy
casualties by the monsoon.
Just as l have completed the above,
dispatch from Col. Norton, dated
June 10, arrived, as follows: Mallory
and Irvine killed on last attempt.
Rest of party arrived at base camp"
Mallory was one of the outstanding
.heross sof the 122A and ,1922EAxRedt-