Evening star., 1925-05-09
Popular Mind Is Stirred
By Macmillan Expedition

Talk OF the glorious adventure"
ahead for Capt. Macmillan and his
shipmateS in the Arctic this Summer
is stirring popular ina ginaJi0r AS has
been done 10y no similar expedition
in recent years. The very fact that
Macmillan, backed by the National
Geographic Society and unUffiCiaNy by
the Navy. plans a voyage Df diSCOV-
cry rather than n mere dash To the
Pole stimulates interest. and news
paper comment on the plans empha-
sizes the absence Of competition be
tween this American enterprise and
the proposed expeditions of AmundSen
and AlgarSon.
plans for the Macmillan Arctic es-
peditiOn decided upon at Washing
ton attach less Importance to "a flight
over the North Pole than To the eN-
ploration of little known areas and
the possible discovery Of new land,
observes the Seattle Times. In that
respect the expedition will not he
competitor OF Capt. ROald AmUnd-
sens proposed flight or that Of Al
carson. which Will be a purely British
enterprise The Times continues:
notwithstanding the known and un-
known dangers, intrepid airmen will
make the attempt. The incentive to
find new land and TO explore places
than the desire to preserve life. The
honor and the glory which are the
rewards of success oVerbalanCe COM
mon caution"
The Portland Oregonian thinks it is
unnecessary to compare the pros
poets of the expeditions, 'since each
in its own way Is committed TO
significant scientific undertaking.
The Oregonian says: ITO characterize
Il ,l.,rf rfy.v, q Fslys
turers as race for territory is in all
probability to mistake their real aims,
though it is impossible to predict what
NAV flow from il. Fundamentally
in both instances the explorers and
the interests behind them are moved
by desire TO add TO the sum Of human
knowledge"
As a matter of fact. there is no race
on, SO far as the American expedition
is concerned, in the opinion Of the
Louisville Courier-Journal.W which says:
THE reason is that the purposes
of the expeditions are different. Mac
MILAN is on Il cruise of discovery.
His aim is 10 present a new geography
of the polar regions, to map the
Northern wastes and to learn more of
the electrical forces at work in the
Arctic Circle. AmundSen and Agar
son. like the navigators OF Old, are
seeking a shorter route TO Asia.
= x X
1t is not to be supposed that the
American Government lends its ap-
proval TO the project with any view
to future exploitation" declares the
Tampa Times. 1T is purely in the in
tereSt of an extension OF our knOWl-
edge of that little known region that
the expedition is backed up. Possibly
there may be an element of pride in
having Old Glory flying from the peak
of the world but that is pardonable
and can harm no one. The expeditions
will he watched with great interest by
| the whole scientific world"
What glorious adventure 10 en-
gage in explains the Dayton News.
who better than Capt. Macmillan
| could open up this undiscovered ter
! ritory and reveal to the world OF
science the vast possibilities which lie,
shall we say. within comparatively
easy access of stout hearts? For all of
which as a people we should be de-
voutly grateful to Macmillan and
| those associated with him in this un-
| dertaking.
The Chattanooga News speaks of
the possibility of routing shorter air
WAYS from northern Asia across the
polar region and in this connection
the Asbury Park Press adds: The
possibility of discovering a new con
/ tinent, the opportunity for expert
mentation with short wave radio un-