Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-17
Arctic Submarine Cruise Plan
Regarded As'Rather Fantastic

To most newspaper observers the pro-
posal of Sir Hubert wilkins to cruise
beneath the Arctic ice in a submarine
appears fantastic and almost suicidal
The plan is so far outside the realm
OF things done hitherto" says the Buff
falo Evening News, that if any name
less notable than that of Wilkins were
sponsoring it the disposition would be
not to treat it seriously" Referring to
the fact that Wilkins attempt to real
1ze the visions of those fiction writer's
who are not fettered by science" has
been postponed to next year, the Buffalo
daily continues: 1.-The project of diving
under the ice and travelling well below
the depth to which the ice cap reaches
obviously implies great advance in
mechanics. The expectation of Wilkins
appears to be that his submarine can
ind air holes into which it can rise
every few miles for observation and
oxygen renewal. Also there are hints at
devices for blasting openings in the Toe
if natural gaps do not occur. Appar-
emily there is no fear that such a SUBJ
surface explosion would affect the sub
marine like depth bomb"
The Kalamazoo Gazette suggests that
the prospect sounds thrilling enough,
and might even prove attractive to men
who regard deadly hazards merely as
slight obstacles which must be over
come If the solution of natures mani
fold mysteries Is to be carried forward.
1t is worth noting, however," continues
the Gazette, that the Polar Sea is iust
ABOUT the most dangerous territory in
Wnlcn man can operate the most dan
gerous OF all known types OF craft.
Yet all these dangers and
many others are not likely to deter Sir
Hubert and his associates If they are
convinced that there is anything worth
seeing beneath the polar ice. Expert
ence has shown that, despite the obvious
perils OF exploration, there are always
plenty of volunteers"
TO the ordinary man." remarks the
Philadelphia Record, ''the project looks
like rather elaborate way of commit
ting suicide. Taking trip on a subma-
rine under the most normal circum-
stances would be a real adventure to
us. But to go voyaging under the ice
of the Arctic-ice that is packed 100
feet thick-appears as mad an enter
prise as any ever projected. But these
men who know the Arctic have sur
prising way of showing death to one
side and coming through the most haz-
erdouS experiences unscathed. And
once they get the Arctlc IN tnelr plo0d
there is no way, it would seem, of
stopping them. The secrets OF the icy
waste hold fascination for them that
is inconceivable
Highly infeasible," declares the st.
Louis Post-Dispatch. "But wilkins is
man who thrives on confounding the
experts and achieving the impossible.
This bearded Australian all his life has
made bosom comrade of danger. To
get unusual photographs he was max
ing parachute leaps from balloons and
walking over airplane wings long before
such exhibitions were advertised by
every county fair. He was the first
movie man to get authentic pictures of
hand-to-hand fighting in the Balkan
wars, and the first of his profession to
Join an Arctic expedition. For 2 of
his 40 years wilkins few over the battle
lines In France, and was designated by