Evening star., 1938-11-20
By NC. r.

the reviewer was put IN mlnQ OF Lne
fact that, for q number Of years,
she has had In her private posses
sion . very jewel Of an Antarctica
story. There have been lots Of those
stories, to be sure. But readers can
prepare to 60 through the one told
below without fear that 1t be
chestnut. In spite of its age, 1t is
bound to be fresh, for the reviewer
has, for some reason or other, never
told it to any one, and she Is 1ea-
sonably certain. too, that no one
except herself knows 1t. But 1t de-
serves . public, and now 1t shall be
told.
1t dates back to the return Of the
first Antarctica expedition, which
was the early sos. though the re-
viewer has forgotten the precise
year. Readers, Of course. recall the
expeditions motion picture; 1t was
widely shown throughout the coun-
try. It came as the wind-up of an
unparalleled publicity effort for
polar-or any kind of-exploration
party. For months Russell Owen,
the accompanying journalist. had
been sending back almost daily dis
patches from his hut on the ice
foe, there had been broadcasts from
the foot Of the world and every mile
of the way out and back had been
graphically described for the bene-
fit OF all who had ears to hear or
eyes to read. BY the time the hon.
ing party steamed triumphantly
into the Nations ports, its various
members were known and nick
named in every household. And
then the motion picture was sent
out. People not unnaturally went In
throngs to see 1t.
The reviewer herself, 1t happened,
was at the time living tn a little
town in Ohio-Marietta. by name,
II any one would like to know. Like
her neighbors, when the picture ar
rived. she put on her hat and went
forthwith to the local opera house."
as it was called, though when any
opera was played in it the memory
OF man compasseth not, to see the
hardy southmen with her very eyes.
Even as Admiral Byrd at Advance
Base, she was alone on this enter
prise, and that is how 1t comes about
that no one except herself knows
her story
Alone she bought her ticket, alone
she entered the auditorium, alone
she took her seat. And then, pres
emily, she was alone no longer, for
two excellent goodwives came in and
took the seats before her. Their
ensuing conversation did not include
her, to be sure, but she heard it,
none the less, for the very practical
reason that she happens not to be
deaf.
Said one of the ladies to the other,
Il think its fine that we can get
this picture here. I'm always inter-
ested in anything scientific. That's
what I came for. really. The scien-
tific side of it ALL
Said the other lady, "Yes, that's
what I told my husband. He isn't
feeling we'll today. We went to his
sisters for dinner Sunday and she
had lamb. 1t always makes him
sick. But he will eat it."
Said the first lady, did you give
him soda?" And, without waiting,
went on, Soda Is what I always
give Fred. It's old fashioned, know,
but it works. Sometimes I think
those old-fashioned remedies are
maybe best, after all. What do you
use?"
Well said the second lady. II did
get some pills from the doctor for
Joe. But he always makes such a
fuss about taking them that I ask
him which is worse-the sickness or
the medicine. He never seems to
learn. But then-that's the way men
are, isn't it? Did you say soda?"
"Yes." replied the first lady. Half
glass Of warm water and a tea
spoonful"
In these terms the conversation
went on during the first part of the
film. so the reviewer could see for
herself that these excellent women
were, indeed, tremendously inter-
ested. to use their own words, in the
scientific side Of 1t all. 1t is her
regret that she cannot report the
whole discussion to her readers, but
she has to confess that, in watch
ing the picture, she missed some of
those informative observations. The
advent of the delightful baby seal on
the screen, however, brought the at
tention of the good souls to the ad-
ventures of the Antarctica party at
last, and they gave testimony to
the fact by changing the subject of
their talk. From their plaintive re-
view of husbandly indigestion they
entered upon an argument concern
ing the manner in which the infant
seal is nourished by its parent. AS
this was conducted in modest
whispers the reviewer did not hear
much of 1t. She can only testify
that 1t ended with an Interrogation,
uttered in worried, not to say in
credulous, tones-"Under vater?"
After that, as the picture moved
on toward its great climax in the
flight over the Pole, the reviewer
forgot her neighbors. She remem-
bers to this day how the tenseness
of the atmosphere became more
and more perceptible. She remem-
bers how Bernt Balchen, at the con-
trolls Of the flight-set ship, briefly
turned his head, with grave preoc-
cupation on every feature, to face
the camera; there was something In
importance Of the potentialities of