The Washington times., 1930-03-20

many thousands of miles over
the South Polar regions. Only
one plane, one of Byrd's, except
that lost with the Norwegians.
has been damaged by the ele.
ments.
The flying conditions at the
time we choose to fly, are not
to my mind as hazardous as
those sometimes encountered by
the average mail pilot flying
daily over regular routes
throughout the United States.
There is more bad weather
in the South but in really bad
weather it is useless for an ex-
plorer to attempt a flight.
Still, the fact remains that
until November, 1928, when with
Eielson we made the first Ant
arctic flight in history, the con-
ditionS in the South were
strange and unknown, and it is
for the courage of the adven-
turer-the seeker after new
knowledge-that the pilots who
these last two years have flown
in the South should be given
credit.
For myself, I can perhaps
claim exemption, for while not
actually flying in the Antarctic
until 1928, I had for years ex-
perienced Polar expeditions, OBJ
serving them with the point of
view of a flying man.
knew something of the con.
ditions we must face and real
lied that, with the selection of
good equipment and the exercise
Of caution, the dangers could be
Surmounted.
Experience Means Much
1t is the caution and efficiency
born of experience that has en-.
abled Admiral Byrd and me to
return with much work done
and with the men who have
helped me in perfect health.
Even our equipment, which
served us for a year in the Arc.
tic before doing duty for two
years in the South, did not suf.
fer unduly.
Expeditions are after all, a
form of investment in the
market of scientific knowledge
and the airplane has made it
possible to make the profits,
in the department Of geography,
large.
New Discoveries Told
Since setting out for the
Antarctic just Is months ago
we have. Notwithstanding the
fact that we returned to other
work for six months last year,
added to the charts of Antarc.
tlca more than 1900 miles of
coastline never seen before.
We have discovered IA new
islands, scores of mountain
peaks, new land and many
straits and channels. These
discoveries include Hearst and
Stefansson Strait, Cape Byrd,
Cape Mawson, Mount Ranck
and the Detroit Aviation So
ciety Plateau.
In our Lockheed planes we
have flown a distance of more
than 5000 miles over the Ant.
arctic pack ice and mountains
and pushed this year with the
royal research ship, William
Scoresby. through 1000 miles
Of ice-infeSted water.
From the ship we took many
ocean soundings, water tenn
peratures and water samples
and on the way made numer-
GUS biological collections.
Naturally we are grateful ard
very much indebted to many
generous firms and individuals
for help. Without their willing
aid the work could not have
been done. But the work in
the field has been carried out
by a staff of four men-two
pilots, an engineer and a radio
man-besides myself.
Trip Public Concern
All expeditions are looked
upon, more or less, as public
concerns, and as in practically
all cases they are an investment
of sympathizers' money it is
well to consider their cost as
compared to the results OBJ
tanned.
BY using equipment already
paid for by service in the Arctic,
our expedition was relieved of
considerable expense in out
fitting for the Antarctic trans
portation, wages, travelling .ex-
penses- and upkeep were the
principal items of expenditure.
We have been helped by many
ships, particularly by the royal
research vessel, William Scores.
by, and the Norwegian trans
port ships.
Many passenger shipping con-
Germs have given us service at
cost Of operation and, due to the
SmallnesS and the mobility of
my party, the total expense for
our two seasons work in the
Antarctic amounts to less shan
$50, 1000.
But our work is only a
preliminary reconnaissance to
enable us to formulate and
organize a plan for extensive
and intensive study. If we
can manage to establish and
maintain several permanent
stations in the Antarctic, col.