Evening star., 1937-06-20

predicted transpolar airlines, because
many intercontinental distances are
shorted over the Arctic Sea than
around it. and because weather con-
ditions are often better over the Arctic
Sea than south of it. but he also pre-
dicted the present effort to camp at or
near the Pole, and forecast its chief
difficulties.
He wrote: mo one has as yet spent
an entire year at the North Pole 1t
need not be more than year or two,
and in my opinion it will not be more
than decade or two, until somebody
goes to the North Pole, stays there
year, and brings back to us coherent
account of how cold or warm it is there
from day to day for the IL months.
The main handicap in an attempt of
this sort would be the mobile nature
Of the fractured floating ice that
covers the vicinity Of the Pole. 1t
seems probable that the ice
masses drift across the polar area at
the rate OF perhaps half a mile per
day Any one who made his camp
at the North Pole would learn through
astronomical observations after a few
weeks that he was no longer at home
and would have to pick up his bed and
walk back to the North Pole. Apart
from that, living there a year would
be easier than some polar achieve
ments that are already history"
Honored for Vision.
But the Russian expedition cannot,
in fairness, be evaluated as solitary
exploit. In itself 1t is only a small If
highly dramatic part OF Soviet Russia's
vast general program Of Arctic ex-
ploration and research. coupled with
immediate exploitation. 1t was not for
any ability as a stunter or an intrepid
hero that the Explorers Club recently
made "Academician" Schmidt an hon.
orary member. 1t was for his vision,
similar to Stefansson's Of the Arctic
as q habitable commercial empire: for
his resourcefulness in translating that
idea into action; for the energy OF his
ferocious assaults on our old, dogmatic
and often erroneous ideas about the
Arctic-not with words and books
and lectures, but with achievement,
money, materials and with the 10000
human beings who are today directly
in his employ.
Since 1929 Prof. Schmidt has been
the active head of Soviet Russia's
Northern Sea Route Administra-
ton" AS such he has in his charge
the whole of Russia's territory lying
north Of the cd parallel-one-fourth
OF the U. S. S. R. This year he has 95
Arctic expeditions in the field, studying
the geology, NEUROLOGY, meteorology,
topography, biology and the like of
that vast empire.
The recent history Of Wrangel
Island serves as dramatic indication
OF Russia's Artic achievements.
Realizing the potential importance Of
that barren and uninhabited bit Of
Arctic "wasteland" in future trans
polar air commerce, Stefansson colo
nized 1t in 1921 and claimed 1t for
England. England failed to see its
NdlNE kA4A 4VAuSoNN w DuCA VIC SAs
plorer's claims. The colony came to q
tragic end, and In 1923 Carl Lomen
the Reindeer King Of Alaska" took
over Stefansson's claims and colo
nized the island for the United States.
But Washington was as cool as London
had been, and showed as little under
standing Of the Islands potential
importance.
Moscow Takes Possession.
Not so Moscow. In 1926 a Russian
gunboat expedition virtually kidnapped
Lomen's colony, which had to be
returned to American soil with the
help Of the Red Cross. and replaced it
with a Russian one. Today the island
has its own newspaper. q boarding
school, hothouses for raising vege-
tables. A cultural center Is being
erected there and herd Of Is REIN
deer u being driven to the Island.
Last year the reaidents Of Wrangel
Island heard Beethoven. schumaun