Evening star., 1928-03-25
BY NELSON nj. SHEPARD.

.
ment of his Georgetown home.
Has Confidence In Byrd.
There in the atmosphere OF his library
he talked freely of the changes
wrought in polar expeditions. his own
recollections OF the passing era that
witnessed the crowning achievements
Of mans final conquest of the elements
and he looked. too, into the future.
Gen. Greely first let it be known that
he believes Comdr. Byrd will be sue
cessfui i'm mis- venture as he was in cir
cling the North Pole, because OF his
! great courage and wonderful per-
slstence.r But as one who Is inclined
to apply the analytical eye Of science
10 mans work in the polar regions, he
doubts If anything in the way OF real
material advantage TO science will De
gained through an aerial Night TO the
Antarctic.
Except for the purposes of recon-
naissance and the photcgraphing and
charting OF WIDE areas of land and sea
already known TO exist" he went on
TO explain, "that is all there Is TO 1t.
A stunt"
Gen. Greely does not discount the
geographical advantages TO be derived
in mapping from the air vast areas un.
seen before By man in this estimated
4. 600 900 square miles of Antarctic
wilderness But he does believe. and
saws so frankly, that such an expedi-
ton can add little of material ad-
vantage tc the enormous amount OF
scientific data already possessed at the
price of early discoveries and the cul-
minating successes of the twentieth
century through the sacrifices of such
men as SElackleton. Scott. Mawson and
Anaundsen Man has learned almost
all there is 10 gain. he says. from the
meteorological and magnetic observa-
tons thus obtained.
Every age has its sensations and
Gen. Greely Is not alone in declaring
. that this Is the age of sensationaliSm tn
so-cailed scientific explorations. He
admits reluctantly that the demand foi
front page stuff" as he terms II. mas
/ forced scientific endeavor to second
| ary place In Great Britain especially
/ more than one authority has COM
planned that this public craze for ths
| spectacular has tended 10 divert fund,
for what they regard as more usefu
kinds Of work on land and sea In p0lai
regions.
Dog Stiil Supreme.
The president OF the Royal Geo.
graphical Society" Gen. Greciy added
"said recently that II is almost impos.
sible TO get scientific explorers at thu
present time"
/ As one who Jared forth with his dog
| teams TO the unknown regions of tn
North in an earlier period, Gen. Greel,
] vas asked If the progress In the deyel
/ opn1ent of aircraft or mechanical trans
| port for SNOW sledges has leSsened tn.
/ hardehips or dangers Of later day ex-
/ plorers. He smiled wl1imsicaliy in re-
minding that after all these Year, d
so-cailed progress the dog is still
supreme on land"
The beginning Of the twentieth cen.
/ tury which witnessed the final o0ndues
/ Of both Poles. he declared. is the rea
/ dividing line I'm this march Of explora.
tive progress. When civilized man frs
/ began to penetrate beyond the sunset
/ he soon learned through experience tina
! the Eskimo dog-team was the most re.
liable means Of transportation ''TFler
| they began to think they knew better
! than the natives" he said. "snd begar
/ substituting hardy Arctic and Siberian
/ ponies With the progress Of mechani.
cal development came the dawn o
/ motor transportation.
/ Gen. Greeiy paused significantly II
Z
/ the North Pole With dog teams ans
Amundsen was compelled 10 rely ON hi
dogs TO penetrate TO the South Pole. q
YOU see after al there has been Ifttll
or no successful change In the method
employed on land. Until science ha
constructed D reliable mechanical de
vice that can successfully Withstand tn
intense cold OF the polar zone. the ia.
of the dog has not yet passed.
Like other noted authorities. Ger
Greeig believes The development O
motor drawn snow SIedges has It's pos
slbilities and Advantage, just as IN
slrplane Or dirigible for which Annund
sen forsook his dog trains 10 follow Il
Byrd's wake 10 the North Pole. But IN
constant danger of breakdown" IA
from 4 base Of supplies makes the Us
Of motor snow sle6ges today inferior i
the sureneSs Of the dog. he believes
For Tec0rd-breaking travels over m
Ice. Gen. Grefig declares. nothing ye
has surpassed some Of the record
achieved With dog sleds. For eEampie
he cited the remarkable feat perfOrfrifi
Dv McEiintOck, who discovered the fat
0f the Franklin expedition. With eigl'
men i'm los days he Travelled ,40l mile
over the ice and snow In his search.
Flying Machines Value.
80 far as | know that record ha
never been surpassed for sustained RI
l0Ft." Gen, Greeiy said. and don
believe IA is possible 10 snrpaas II uDde
any changed conditions II shows. In
deed. that there has been little i'm
proyemeni In the means of gettln
there on land"
The f1ying machine has its value I
polar travel for reconnaissance an
prospecting the route but the kind q
exploration that IS nov required
scientists claim. cannot be- done by
quick moving machine Nor win n b
. possible I'll 1.-The problem 0f landing an
taking 0ff IN solved In geographical
exploration there IL still \ great dea
W b. done IN the Antarctic especially
si1ere the siTplane never before ha
Been used Certain regions Oh aceOsiiD
/ of ice congestion have been neglecte
and could probably be most safely ~
gi0Ted by wag 0f tbs lend Ice fr0f
accessible bases la This respect ih
! ! sirylsne sb0ule be NJ great sfFvic
h, preliminary reconnaissance and eve
for the general ehsrfing of coast ltnei
But the motor equipment Used @
sand IN the polar regions. Gen Gfeel
claims. thus far n inferior 10 ths oil
Tong tried methods af transportation
Flael lllst should lHgHilusiie proc
Geu. f3rfeiv pointed sH't. q fsshf'Ila
4 j a - &sa IA