Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-06-20
TO BRING BACK
CONTINUED from Page One

ton. his announcement was heard with
keen interest.
"By the well-settled principles of in
ternational law," said Governor Brew
ster, discovery is the primary incident
in claim to any land. If questions
shall ever arise as to its title ample
| constitutional provision is made for
its determination by the constitution"
There appear to be nothing in the
| constitution in either this State or ma
| ton in derogation of this inherent
right OF sovereignty OF claimed land
which It shall discover or explore.
"If questions shall arise with for
eign countries their amicab1e adjust
ment in accordance with our constitu-
ton is assured by the peaceful expert
ences Of century with our neighbor
on the north.
"The flag Of the State of Maine may
be planted on this territory which
there IL much to indicate may exist in
that great space. It will then remain
for the federal government to decide
whether or not It will recognize and
protect our rights"
Among those present at the dinner
were officers of the navy. the Nation
al Geographic Society, which Is spon-
soring the Macmillan expedition, and
the United States Coast and Geodetic
Survey Of the department of the IN
terror.
The true value Of Arctic work was
explained to the notable gathering of
State and national figures by Lieut..
Com. Macmillan. He asserted that
much had been said as to whether he
and his party expected to 60, but little
had been said about why they were
going.
The popular conception of that great
stretch Of land nearest the North Pole,
ha said, is that 1t is q land of snow and
ice. while as a matter of fact up to
year ago TO different varieties OF
flowers had been found within 300
miles of the Pole. Amusement was ex-
pected, he said, when explorers
brought back the fact that there was
not as much snow in that section as In
New England. Not more than an av-
erage Of Ave inches falls annually ne
said. ,
Great herds of musk oxen iced
upon the grass while drunkenness,
butterflies and even mosquItoes
abound within 700 miles OF the Poie.
All these facts are important 10
scientists, he explained, particularly
to the botanist. To the geologist, ne
said, it is important to know that
land in the Arctic is 1900 feet above
sea level, while once 1t was the bot
tom OF the ocean. The finding OF
clam shells on the top of mountains
was given as a substantiatton of this
fact. This land is now going back,
he said, and getting nearly to sea
level, showing the oscillation of the
earth's surface. The crust of Green
land is covered with 100000 square
miles Of ice, while once it supported
a great forest, with trees as large as
the giant redwoods of California.
Nine degrees from the Pole, he said,
is a coal seam rs feet thick that took
100000 years to make.
To the ,ornithologist. Commander
Macmillan explained, Polar work
means the filling in of, blank pages
of the life histories of many birds.
A great many varieties of birds. well
known in different sections OF civil
ization, go to the Polar seas to lay
their eggs and the study Of their
habits in these breeding places fur
nishes many facts that otherwise
would be unknown.
The study of human life In the
Arctic is important to the anthro-
pologist. A we'll known scientist of
this type, Comma nder Macmillan
said, had asserted that after SO years