Evening star., 1947-02-09
By Russell Owen

the season is that Palmer Peninsula,
which lies just south of Cape Horn,
is open much later in the season
than is the Ross Sea, where the
expedition headed by Rear Admiral
Richard E. Byrd has been at work.
The Ross Sea expedition must leave
before consolidated pack-ice cuts
of its retreat; but on the Palmer
Peninsula the ice does not 60 out
until late In the season, sometimes
not until late April or May.
Comdr. Rome intends to freeze
in his wooden ship behind an island
in Marguerite Bay where it will
be sheltered from pressure. He will
tighten it by taking ashore most of
the material he will use, and es-
a base'in the headquarters
he formerly occupied when mem
ber Of the Eastern Group Of one of
the Byrd expeditions.
That base had been used until
recently by a British expedition,
equipment was placed there by
The British, who have
been there for several years, will
move to another base a short dis
tance away.
This is the first time that Ameri-
cans and British have occupied
nearby bases in the Antarctic. The
fact accentuates a rivalry that has
sprung up since the war over An
tarctic claims, although most of
those claims were established years
ago. Not only will the British be
there at the same time as Comdr.
Ronne's expedition, but also a
Chilean expedition is reported to
be on its way south, as Chile has
never relinquished all Its claims to
Antarctica.
Claims Are Confusing.
These various claims are nebulous
and confusing. There Is little doubt
that either an American, Capt. Ma
thaniel Palmer-for whom the
peninsula is named-or a British
explora named Bransfield first dis
covered the Antarctic mainland
with the odds in favor of Palmer
Those were in the old sealing days,
when sealers from New England and
England swept the South Polar is
lands for pelts they sold to Chinese
for tea.
The British first penetrated into
the Ross Sea and the Weddell Sea
and established the first bases in
the Ross Sea sector. They were
followed by .Belgians. Norwegian.
and others.
The first official claims to any
part of the Antarctic were made by
the British, who outlined the Ros.
Sea sector as a New Zealand de.
pendency, and the Palmer Peninsula
area-which they call Graham
Land--as we'll as the Falkland ano
South Shetland Islands, as Falk-
land dependency. This latter claim
has been disputed by Argentina
which has never given up her claim
to the Falkland Islands, although,
the British have been established
CAAC4 2 AOl a ICIllu1y.
What these various claims will
lead to is anybody's guess. The
United States, through Admiral
Byrd's discoveries, claims much of
the area east of the Ross Sea, in
cluding Marie Byrd Land and Ellis
worth Land, which was discovered
in flight by Lincoln Ellsworth.
Hughes Statement Recalled.
Charles E. Hughes, when Secre-
tary of State, said that this country
never would claim land in which it
could not establish settlements, that
being one of the necessary pre-
requisites Of sovereignty. Later,
however, Henry L. Stimson, as Sec
retary of State, said we would not
relinquish any of our legitimate
claims in the Antarctic. A resolu-
tion claiming the land discovered
by Admiral Byrd was offered in
Congress, but nothing ever came
of it.
The chances that the country
will be good for anything for an
indefinite period Of time are slim,
although it is entirely probable that
eventually some meteorological sta
tions will be maintained there, as
the, weather of Antartica has a
strong influence on the weather of
the Southern Hemisphere. particu-
larly Australia. Sir Douglas Nav
son, one of the best Antarctic ex-
plorers. who has devoted good part
of his life to it's mysteries, thinks it
possible that some day something of
economic value may be discovered
there. But most authorities regard
that as wishful thinking.
What Comdr. Rome intends, with
his little group of % men, three
airplanes and dog teams, is to at
tempt to determine whether or not
Antarctica is one land mass or two
This cannot be done by airplane,
although the airplane can help by
putting dogteam parties far out
from the base in short period of
time, leaving actual surface ex-
ploration to them.
Channel Theory Cited.
1t long has been a theory that
antarctica may have an ice-filled
channel between the Weddell Sea
and the Ross Sea, a channel filled
in so long ago that it may now be
almost indistinguishable. But by
sonic sounding, exploding charges
on the surface of the ice and reg
istering their responses, which will
vary according to whether they
strike rock or water, it is hoped that
this suppositious channel may final
ly be discovered. 1t will be a big
geological achievement, If it can be
done.
Comdr Rome also wants to learn
more about the unknown land south
of the Weddell Sea, and to penetrate
as far as possible southwest from
Palmer Peninsula. His expedition,
which is sponsored by the American
Geographic Society, the Smith
LOANS |
ON
-A- -.