Evening star., 1937-05-23

Winter have already begun ohserva-
tions," Schmidt reported.
The weather is improving"
The trail blazing plane was not ex-
pected to remain long at the pole, and
the three others at Rudolf Island, once
they have flown the equipment north
in response to Schmidt's awaited sig
nal. will start back quickly.
Drifting ice may make the landing
field on the foe hazardous within a
few days. The four who will remain
are prepared, however, to let the ice
drift as it will while they make their
observations. They can move their
portable home to a safer spot if the
ice cracks beneath it.
Schmidt Will Return.
Schmidt will be one of those to re-
turn. The four to remain will be Ivan
Papanin, the leader, former military
commissar and later manager of a
polar station in Franz-JoSef Land;
Ernest Krenkel, radio operator, long
time Arctic explorer who went to the
Antarctic with Admiral Richard E.
Bryd in 1880; Pytor Shirsof1, hydro
biologist, and Eugene Federoff, mag
netologist.
AS newspapers hailed the achieve
ment, a noted Russian professor, r.
Samoilovich, director of the Arctic In
stitute, came forward with the asser-
ton that the airmen would be the first
actually to reach the North Pole.
He discredited the claim of Admiral
Robert E. Peary, asserting that "as has
now been ascertained. Peary was not at
the pole itself, but $50 kilometers (94
miles, from it,"
Peary's claim to having reached the
pole April 6, 1909, has been disputed,
but the United tSates Congress voted
1t undisputable and the National
Geographic Society of the United
States recognized it. DR.. Frederick A
Cook asserted he reached the pole
ahead Of Peary.
The Soviets will be the first to &c
to the POLE" Prof. Samoilovich said
mot for the sake of records, but fol
great and serious task"
Relief Party Planned.
Government authorities disclosed
that q relief expedition had almost
been sent out in search for Schmidt:
polar flight party yesterday when the
planes radio stopped functioning a,
just about the time it passed over thu
pole.
All radio broadcasters in northern
Russian points were silenced immedi
ately, but a wait was decided on
especially becauSe a hunt for tn
plane might have been fruitless with
out some hint Of It's location.
1t was nearly midnight whel
6chmidt's first message came In
apologizing for keeping the countr,
in suspense.
Besides Schmidt and the four VIII
will remain on the ice, the party con
sisted Of Pilot Mikhail Vodopyanofl
M. s. Babushkin, I. f. Spirin, F.
Bassein, P. P. Petenin and S. A
1vanof1.
Schmidt, in an interview before h
left Moscow, strongly limited at a fu
ture transpolar air service to tn
United States, but made no promises
"A station at the pole" he said
III Of special importance as . poin
Of radio contact. Arplanes which vii
dy In this region in the future an,
which will perhaps even make regu
lar flights across the pole to Americ
will be able to get their bearings fror
such radio station and will receiv
precise weather reports"
Landings to Be Difficult.
Because of the absence Of land nea
the pole, landings OF commercia
planes will be difficult.
Government officials have been in
elined not to talk about trans-pola
service since Pilot Sigismund Levan
ensky failed In an attempted non
stop hop from Moscow to San Fran
cisco August 3, 1885. Levanef1sk
turned back before reaching the pole
when oil trouble developed.
Experienced arctic fiiers who con
terred in Moscow last Fall general