Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-27

tinent and the Pole. Indeed. 1t should
be possible to set down bases any
where within this great waste of
snow, making aerial navigation
much more practical and surer course
than by swift dash into the interior
and back. If it We're necessary to
come down. it would be possible to do
SO. make repairs and start off again.
for we have proved at SpitZberEeu
that heavy plane may be landed
with safety on the snow.
The approach TO the South Pole
would probably be through MCMurdp
Sound to the ice barrier. where So
many expeditions have landed. Get
ting Il plane ashore there should pre-.
sent no greater difficulties than at
SpitZbergen. although the plane would
have to be lifted to the top Of the Ice
barrier. unless it were temporarily
placed on pontoons and flown to the
top. That might be the easiest way.
1t would he impossible to tell until
facing the problem, but whatever the
situation there is no doubt that il
could be met. In the Antarctic tho
greatest peril to flying would be the
strong winds and the cold. and tho
meteorological service would have Ia
be of the best. But the lure of THAI
great unknown area will undoubtedly
call some one to it i'll an airplanr,
and a new and remarkable chapter
will he written in aviation.
The Arctic Still Lures.
The Arctic still offers. however.
some extremely allurlng opportunities
for exploration by air. There are
three points from which it may he
entered-Spitzberge Point Barrow
and from Greenland by way of EtalI.
the route taken by Peary. Spitzbergen
offers the great advantage of being
warmed by the Gulf Stream. so that
it is possible To get further north by
ship than at any other point. This
warm stream of water eats away the
ice foe in Il great scmi-circle ans
makes navigation To the north OF
SpitZbergen possible by late Spring.
1t is amazing to realize that at Kings
Bay. for instance, we were 500 miles
north of Point Barrow. AT no other
point can you get nearer than 1000
miles to the Pole at the time of year
we We're there.
But the disadvantage of SpitZbergen
is that it lies too far from the region
which probably contains land. IL il
possible to reach all the region he
tween Cape Morris JeSip and the
Pole from SpltZbergen, but the area
to the west would he too far away.
unless it We're possible to put down
"A base there, which | at first intended
to do this year. The danger of land
ing on snow so far from our main
base with the skis we were using.
however, made this seem inadvisable
and / determined to go from the Pole
to Cape Morris Jesup and then re-
turn to Kings Bay in one flight. which
would have been done if the leak. in
the oil tank had not occurred.
BY striking into the polar sea from
the points in Greenland, Ellsmere Isl
land and Point Barrow all the unex'
plored area could be reached very
easily. AS a matter of fact. it could
probably all be reached from Els.
mere Island, where early in the
Spring it would be possible to take off
on skis from "a few places. This area
attracts me greatly and so little of il
has yet been seen. even by Amundsen
and Ellsworth on their recent trip,
that there is no positive assurance
that hand does not exist there N
area of ,000.05 square miles 10.
quires a good deal OF exploration be
fore 1t can all be charted.
Copyright. 1920. by the New Yorh Tima
Co. and st. Louis PostD ispaGcAHA