Evening star., 1944-12-27
Shipper
Continued From First Page.)

| NOoAoAAAOSa 4 ASAAA : ~ 0O 06C.t
sponsibility since he was stationed
in Washington. He started the
investigations and followed them
through to q successful conclusion,
as Rear Admiral Richard z. Byrd,
commanding officer of the expedi-
ton, was on Navy duty elsewhere.
Cautious Inquiries.
Diplomatic relations with Argen-
tina were none too cordial at the
time, and only the most cautious
inquiries were made, always through
formal channels. 1t was learned un-
officially, however. that the gunboat
stayed only two days alongside the
desolate coast of the Palmer PENN
sula, departing in haste because the
sea was rough and bad weather
threatened to close the ice pack.
Two years before the Argentine
visit when the same ice pack threat
ened to close for another year or
even two years. the Is men at the
east base carefully packed and cata-
logued the equipment they were
forced to leave behind and at that
time narrowly escaped in two flights
Of an old sk-shod Condor which
landed them on an icy plateau while
the supply ship Bear stood by in q
freShening winter gale.
Before the North American ex-
plorers left, however, they tagged
the most valuable portable equip
ment, both Federally owned and
personal, with return addresses and
the request that any finder forward
it with transportation expenses COL
lect. 1t was said unofficially in
Argentina that the instructions were
carried out as far as possible.
Loaded on Gunboat.
| Material which could be moved
quickly was taken aboard the gun
boat. The bottom dredge, it was
said, was similar to one lost by an
Argentine scientific party. and it
was felt the messages found at the
base gave permission to replace this
loss with the American product.
The other material was packed in
26 cases and stored in a Buenos
Aires warehouse where 1t remained
for the next 18 months. During
that period several unsuccessful in
quiries were made for its transfer
to the United States.
1t was learned, however, that
with the aid and through the CO.
operation of the Argentine Navy,
the cases were loaded aboard q New
York-bound freighter at Buenos
Aires last October, and transmitted
via naval supply depot in New
York to the Interior Department
here. where Mrs. Ruth Hampton,
assistant director of the Division
of Territories and Island Posses
sions, with Comdr, Rome, are hav-
ing the scientific equipment and
personal properties distributed.
Valuable Equipment.
When Congress appropriated
$3.50, 900 for the important explora-
ton, the expedition was authorized
to draw on service personnel and to
borrow much valuable scientific
equipment from various Federal
departments.
The equipment left at East Base
included many valuable precision
instruments; a modern, compact
radio transmitter, along with radio
parts; meteorological instruments,
transits, sextants, magnetic COM
passes. artificial horizons, instru-
ments for magnetic measurements,
binoculars, cameras and photo
graphic supplies and the like.
The buildings, said to have been
found h! excellent condition, also
contained precision tool sets, a ma
chine and electrical shop, carpen-
try shop and quantity Of biological
specimens, including penguin, seal
and bird skins collected for the Ma
tional Museum.
Personal Effects Returned.
Departments which had lent
equipment included Interior, Smith
sonian Institution, Naval Observa-
tory, the Army Engineers, the Coast
and Geodetic Survey, the Weather
Bureau, the photographic Once and
various others.
Personal effects of various mem
bers Of the East Base personnel were
returned, including those of Capt.
Carl Eklund, now of the Army Air
Forces; Comdr. Rome of the Bu-
reau Of Ships, Navy Department;
1t. Arthur Carroll, Donald Hilton,
Clarence Steele and others. It was
a great disappointment to Comdr.
Rome when he failed to find, in
his personal effects, a rock request
ed by Radio Commentator Lowell
Thomas which was destined to be q
part of his famous fireplace "The
History of Ages" constructed In his
home at Pawlings, N. Y.
The Antarctic effects they left be-
hind them so long ago and 50 far
away recalled to them the "a days
Comdr. Rome and Capt. Eklund
travelled on skis behind their dog
team while they mapped $50 miles