The Daily Alaska empire., 1932-01-12
South Pole, Reached First Time 20 Years Ago,
 Lures Byrd to Sedrch for Neeu Secrets in '32
By F. B. COUPON

Twenty years ago. in December 1911, Roald Amundsen of Norway reached the south pole and crown ed centuries of gradual advance by men into the polar wastes.
 Since then polar travel and sex- ploration have been revolutionized more completely than in all the centuries that led up to Amund- sens achievement.
 Explorers now use radio, air planes and even submarines to wrest scientific knowledge from the frozen areas
 Two American expeditions to the ! Polar regions already are planned i for 1892.
 Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd will return to his Antarctic base, Little America, perhaps establish q new inland base, map more of the { continent with airplanes and study weather, geology, and life on the land and sea.
 Williams to Go to Arctic
 Capt F. M Williams, also equipped with airplanes, will spend two years in the Arctic on the shore of the Polar sea, making similar studies and broadcasting daily weather reports.
 Arctic exploration received it's first boost when the search for a northwest passage to Cathay began after Columbus found the way blocked along the direct route west. For centuries frail ships vainly sought the passage. A rich prize offered by Geat Britain stimulated the search, led to exploration of the islands mort hof Canada and discovery of the north magnetic pole in 1881 The first ship to make the north west passage was the Gjoa, com maned by Roald Amundsen, which sailed from Europe to Alaska in 1903-04 The northeast passage al- ready had been negotiated in 1878- 79, when A. E. Nordenskiold sailed the Vega from Europe to Japan north of Siberia.
 The North Pole became the goal of exploreres, Admiral Robert E. Peary, U. s. Navy, finally reach ing it April 6. 1911, after a sledge journey from the direction Of Greenland.
 Sir Ernest SnacKieton Of England discovered the south magnetic pole in 1908-09.
 Roald Amundsen was planning North Pole expedition when news of Peary's discovery was announc- ed, and turned southward instead. So did Capt Robert F. Scott of England.
 Travelling by sledge, Amundsen reached the South Pole December fl, 1911, planted a Norwegian flag, and left a record Of his visit. Scott arrived January IT, 1912, found the note, turned back, and perished in a blizzard.
 With both poles reached by par ties on foot, the era of aerial eX- ploration in the Polar regions be- gan.
 First s. A. Andree of Sweden took off in a ballcoon, July II, 1897 for the North Pole with two com- panions. He never was heard from until the bodies of Andree and one comrade were found on White Is- land in 1880.
 Bryd Reaches North Pole
 Byrd, then lieutenant t-comman- der, first flew to the North Pole in an airplane May g, 1926.
 Two days later the dirigible Norge, piloted by Gen. Umberto Mobile of Italy, flew over the pole from Spitzbergen and on to Alaska Sir Hubert Wilkins flew by air plane across the Arctic sea in the reverse direction April 15, 1928.
 A month later, May B, Mobile piloted the dirigible Italia to the pole and crashed on the return journey. Some of the crew in- cluding Mobile were rescued. Roald Amundsen set out by airplane to seek missing members of the crew and never returned.
 Admiral Byrd led an expedition to the Antarctic during 1928-30, was first to fly to the South Pole i; and is the only man to fly to both poles.
 An attempt by Sir Hubert Will kins to reach the North Pole by submarine the past summer ended in failure.