Evening star., 1925-04-12

and anticipated If the pilot is to
known when he is off his course.
Added to all these difficulties of
keeping straight or getting back to
the base is the fact that the COM
pass is talking in another language,
because the, plane will be far above
the magnetic North Pole. Then the
Rirmen must be photographing with
still. motion pictrue and mapping
cameras. They must maintain radio
communication with MaCMillan's ship
at Etah, hundreds of miles away, and
there must be mete rological observa-
tions as we'll as a constant aIertness
for the unknown that is being sought
after.
To accomplish the desired objec-
tive, Lieut.. Comdr. Byrd must have
two pilots highly trained and skilled
in these various branches. Two have
been tentatively selected-officers
now on duty outside of Washington
but one is not a volunteer, and he
must be consulted. Further, permis-
sion must be obtained from their su
perior officers to release them from
their present duties. Final selection
there will not be made for a few
days, it is predicted.
Regarding the scientific nature of
the expedition, the National Geo
graphic society IN Uullelln lSsueu
last night said:
Value in Research.
Data which will be collected by
members of the expedition and OBJ
servations made by the United States
Navy flyers are of potential value to
navigators, farmers and fishermen.
THE major geographical fact is
that the huge uneXplored area, mill
lion square miles, lies between two
American flags, that which flies over
Alaska and that which Peary planted
at the North Pole. In this area, more
than three times the size of Texas,
there is the possibility of new con-
tinent being discovered, and the prob
ability of land of. some kind.
New Land Is Expected.
The existence of this land is
postulated on reports of explorers
who have skirted the edges of the
unknown area, and of observations
of tides and ice conditions along this
fringe, which conditions indicate the
existence of land.
Should such land exist, it Will be
a great future economic Importance
in view of the commercial flying that,
in years to come, will be done across
the Arctic regions.
THE combination of aircraft and
radio in Arctic exploration is a new
feature of exploration, which not
only adds romance and adventure
TO the undertaking, but which en-
hances the scientific value Of the
expedition.
Hitherto our information about the
far north has been from explorers
who had to penetrate it in Winter
whom the ice was continuous. Sum
H.rTv IL. gl.l
tions of entirely different conditions,
with % hours of daylight to aid the
flyers.
Handicap to Radio.
This same daylight, however. as
radio fans will realize, is a handicap
to broadca sting, because night time
is radio time. The use of the new
short-wave length apparatus under
these conditions is an experiment
which will be of value to the new
science of wireless communication.
Upper air temperatures in the Far
North are almost as little known as
the million square miles which may
Shroud a long g-hidden continent. Sum
ner records of these conditions not
only will have value to future fly
ing, but may have a direct bearing
on weather forecasting.
"Forecasting weather consists large
ly in detecting new disturbances as
they show up on the Western and
Northwestern borders of the United
States, learning their characteristics
and figuring out the paths they
probably will follow because of pre-
vailing barometric preSsures and
temperatures ahead of them.
Tracking Weather TO Lair.
The great majority of what the
weather forecasters call the lows
that Is the areas of subnormal
barometric pressure-seem to orig
mate over the warm sea south of the
Aleutian Islands in the Winter, and
over the interior of Alaska during
the Summer. But some of the con-
ditions which cause these lows to be
built up in those places and create
highs to the east have their birth
farther north in the Polar regions,
and a better knowledge of tempera-
lures, pressure and wind changes
there, undoubtedly would facilitate
weather forecasting.
I'm the search for the beginnings
of It's weather the United States is
not concerned with the entire Polar
regions. 1t is most concerned, it
happens, with the uneXplored terri
tory which lies north of Alaska
Temperatures, pressures and wind
conditions-the vital weather factors
ale not known in the regions