Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-05-14
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL y. COLLINS.

What is the use of sending eX-
plorers into the Arctic region. now
that the North Pole has been dis
covered? .E
A prominent Washington scientist,
especially interested in meteorology.
says that 1t can be of little advantage
to science for Capt. Donald B. Mac.
MILAN to make another .'junketing
trip" up there. Even IL he found
a continent of million square miles
between the Pole and Alaska, 1t would
be Of no importance in meteoEology to
visit it hastily. 1t would help weather
predictions IL permanent observation
stations were established there as they
exist at Jan Mayen Island, some hun
dreds of miles northeast OF Iceland.
The enterprise has the sanction OF
the Government and will be financed
by the National Geographic Society.
Off1eials of the society say that to
prove the existence Of a continent as
big as Texas would be Of value.
In addition to that unknown region
between the Pole and Alaska there is
another incognito of 100000 square
miles between the Pole and Iceland.
The northern half Of Greenland has
y
found there mountains and fertile
valleys, the latter filled with grass
and myriads of brilliant flowers and
supporting hundreds of buffalo" or
oxen. and other animals.
Baffin Land Hundreds of thou
sands OF square miles never yet en-
tered by civilized man-at least no
record of such penetration! These
unknown regions combined equal
<t&> - tAd tat
There are known to be ruins OF
what is thought to have been Morse
settlement In Greenland; The Esqui-
maux tell that similar ruins exist in
Bafin Land. This exploration will
visit both, in order to add proofs that
the Norwegians found even the main
land of America 1000 years before
Columbus sailed How important that
proof may be Is disputable, since per-
haps Alaska and thence all the, Pa.
cifc Coast and Mexico and the land OF
the Incas were peopled by the Asiatics
thousands of years before Eric the
Red came to Greenland.
* y u
Who knows what commercial values
lie in that ice-bound region? Are
there coal and oil and precious met
ais?
Is the route across the Pole, along
the great circle of the globe, praCt1-
cal way for future commercial flyers
from Europe to Australia or Asia? 1t
Ia well known that the great circle is
the shortest way from point to point
around the world. Some theories al
iege that the Arctic Is not cold in
Summer, except upon the ice surface.
and that 1t Is the ice radiation close
to earth that chills the air until an
altitude above it's radiation Is reached.
That Is not accepted by science, but
az a theory" 1t Is interesting. ,Alti-
tude even in the tropics insures cold,
and scientists declare that the rule
holds good equally In the Arctic. UP to
the level of the stratosphere, seven or
eight miles high, beyond which the
warming radiation of the surface
ceases, and increasing height adds
nothing to the cold.
Never before has the attack upon
Arctic mystery been made with the
aid Of afrpianes. This time there will
be three of the largest and strongest
hydroplanes of the Navy, each with q
radius of 1000 miles. The ground or
ice surface in much of the Arctic is
absolutely impossible In Summer, for
II lis covered with slush often seven or
eight feet deep--too dense for boats of
any kind, too slushy for sleds or foot
passage. Slush will have no terrors
for airplane explorers. and the planes
will cover more territory per hour
than previous explorers have ever
covered per week. Before the actual