Evening star., 1941-09-21
SeattIe-ArchangeI
Ship Route Proposed
For Aid 10 Russia
Top Of World Line
Held Practicable by
Embassy Bulletin

A route across the top of the
world"-from Seattle, around Alaska,
through Bering Strait and the
Arctic Ocean to Archangel-was
projected by the Soviet Embassy
last night as one of five practicable
routes for ships taking American
military supplies to Russia.
mo German U-boat bases are
located along this sea way" an
E bassy information bulletin
pointed out in extolling the value
of the recently developed Soviet
Northern Sea route"
1t also emphasized that ships
taking the little-known Arctic route
would pass through no territorial
waters but those of the United
States and Russia. and would have
to travel only half as far as those
using the much-discussed routes
via either the Atlantic or Pacific tC
Iran, from where goods would have
to be trans-shipped 1000 miles
across Iran to reach the Red armies.
Two Usual Routes.
The usual route for ships going
from this country directly to a
Soviet port is either from New
York across the North Atlantic
infested by German raiders-tc
Murmansk or Archangel, or from
San Francisco, across the Pacific
to Vladivostok. To reach the latter
Siberian port, ships have to &C
through waters Japan claims a!
her territorial waters, and the JAP
anese have complained about the
use of this route for shipping II
Russia supplies that are embargoec
to Japan.
Commercial transport over tn,
Soviet Northern Sea route begar
only in 1884, the Embassy said, aftel
the Soviet icebreaker Sibiryako'
made the first trip across the Arctic
Ocean in single navigating season
IN 1882.
The route, as it has been used
takes ships from Archangel or Muir
mansk across the Arctic Ocean ane
down through the Bering Strait anc
the northern Pacific to Vladivostok
A look at an atlas shows that i
would be as easy to use Seattle a.
Vladivostok for the terminus at thi,
end.
Use of ice-breakers to convoy
the merchant ships is the Soviet''
secret for conquering the Arctic
Dozens of ships make the passage
every winter, cutting the sea time
from Murmansk to Vladivostok ir
half and tapping the rich interior
of Siberia through ports at the
mouths of the great Oh, Yenise
and Lena Rivers" the Embassy
bulletin said.
Follow Regular Schedule.
"These ships, ordinary freighters,
1t added, "go through on regular
schedule, knowing in advance what
conditions they will meet. with ne
fear of hardships greater than nor.
NAL on any shipping route. Gone
are the days when ships were caugh,
between two drifting foes and sent
to the bottom. The last such case
was that OF the Chelyuskin In 1884
It's whole crew of 104 was saved by
Soviet planes.
Navigation in the Arctic requires
special technique. Each group o1
ships is preceded by powerful ice
breaker which clears the way
through the ice for the whole con-
voy. Wherever the ice is particu'
larly heavy, the .ice-breaker leads
each ship separately through the
difficult spot, sometimes taking the
ship in tow. -.
In the first years of the opera
ton of the Northern Sea Route
there were cases of ships stranded
for the winter. These were ship:
that had strayed from the caravan
or had ventured too far north un-
accompanied. They were released
by powerful ice-breakers the follow.
ing summer
The Soviet also has developed ar
extensive Arctic meteorological serv.
ice, using observers stationed or
remote islands as we'll as airplane.
to provide forecasts of the weather
and the type and location of ict
formations.