Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-08

son he had thought the World War
was already over. but finding it very
much a fact he Joined the Australian
forces On the western front he was in
charge of all camera work for the Aus
tralian divisions. taking motion pictures
of all engagements from planes
He rose rapidly to the rank of cap
| tain. Yearly all his work was done
under enemy fire. with little chance
! for repriSal on the part of the plane
/ in which he few. He emerged from
! the war with unique and distin-
guiShed record.
/ During the postwar interlude he at
tempted one Of the first flights To
Australia from England as navigator
4 OF the Blackburn Kangaroo. A broken
oil line crashed up the plane near the
/ Island of Crete, and he returned to
Londen. There he took charge as sec
I one in command of photographic work
/ for the British imperial Antarctic eX-
| petition, mapping 300 miles of coast
| line OF the frozen continent.
The year following saw him en- route
again for the Antarctic, representing
the British Museum with Shackleton'S
quest expedition. The museum was so
impressed by the results of years
worF that thew sponsored an expedition
into Australia and the adjoining islands,
1t was then that curious adventure
befell him on an expedition hunting
fauna and flora. He tells of it today
in sketchy fashion, with a modeSty
which is an essential characteristic of
the man. Fearlessly he had penetrated
the bush alone. One day he became
aware that natives were following him.
He did not see them. but he often heard
fi1nx, NJ etrr At ti,nfr
Has Narrow Escape.
Then one night. as he lay asleep, he
awoke to find two buShmen standing
over him, both brandishing spears
above his chest. He lay still. with eyes
barely opened to slit. His gun and
pistol lay at some distance. The natives
gesticulated above his prone form. They
talked dialect he did not understand
Occasionally one of them would almost
thrust down with appraised spear into
his chest. Miraculously they both left
without so much as scratching him.
Two DAYS later he came upon them
in the bush He discovered they talked
a dialect he knew. They he'd strong
cannibalistic leanings, but consented
to guide him into the hinterland. Even
tually he brought up the subject of that
terror-filled night when he had lain
under their appraised spears. They ex-
planned that they had never seen a
white man before and each was afraid
to kill this strange creature, fearing to
be haunted by its spirit.
Three years in the Arctic. during
which time, in 1927. he accomplished a
seemingly insuperable feat of flying a
| plane 500 miles northeast of Point Bar
/ row and landing on the ice. to make
I he - ha In
| Ocean ever registered. 1900 feet, was
| climaxed by the epoohal flight of last
April.
But there is no period to Capt VIII
kins' work. One might safely hazard
/ that death alone will put stop to his
relentless search on the fringe of things
| unknown to man.
Today in his suite at the Waldorf
Astoria he is making plans for two
| daring exploits. TO be carried out during
the next year If his plans reach frui-
ton. Early in November, with two sea-
planes. he will set sail from San Fran
cisco to Tasmania and from that place
as base will fly across the Ross Sea
| in the Antarctic He will follow 1900
miles of the Antarctic Continent coast
800 miles of this territory never seen
By man before His motion picture
camera will record every aspect of the
trip In an effort to find suitable places
for meteorological stations in that part
Of the world
Plans New Exploit.
| On his return here In April or May
/ OF next year he plans TO fly a plane
| from San Francisco to Brisbane. his
/ home, in Australia He will proceed TO
I! Alaska. thence across the Arctic and
down to Toxic. making final jump to
Australia. Time and space. he hopes,
will be telescoped In the feat.
| Tall rugged, with his black curly
| hair thinning on a high forehead but
as yet untouched by gray, Capt. wilkins
| is confirmed bachelor He says that
| his best friends are women. but the
! mature 81 his work preciGdes all thought
Of marriage.
| He combines in himself two charac-
| teristics rarely found together-the cold.
relentless, scientifically trained mind In
search of the unknown and gay, dar-
| ing spirit Of adventure.