Evening star., 1948-12-31
Stars, Men and Atoms .
Chilean Force to Complete
Polar Bases Occupation

rolor Bases Occupation
Will Explore That Part of Antarctica
Claimed by South American Nation
By Thomas r. Henry
A Chilean task force Of three ships Is about
to sail into the Antarctic to carry out an
extensive program of scientific exploration and
complete the occupation Of three permanent
bases In polar territory claimed by the South
American republic.
One OF these, first occupied last winter, u
at Discovery Bay on Greenwich Island, one
OF the South Shetlands, which lies across
narrow neck of land from the celebrated
Yankee Harbor, old-time rendezvous OF the
New England and British seal hunters. Here
for many years the British government Of the
Falkland Islands Dependencies maintained
court during the Antarctic summer. Chilean
naval officers and non-coms have wintered
there and will be relieved by q volunteer
force
The second permanent base first occupied
by the Chilean army last winter. is Camp
O'Higgins at the extreme northwestern point
OF the Palmer Peninsula-the most northernly
point OF Antarctica and also one Of the least
known. Several sledge journeys inland are
proposed to map the northern sector Of this
area, q snow.covered plateau which rises
steeply from an elevation of about 1000 feet
at the location of Camp O'Higgins to over
5000 feet 100 miles to the south.
Weird and Perilsus Land.
1t is weird and perilous land, dotted with
snoW-covered peaks on whose steep slopes
mountain glaciers break into majestic icefalls
dWarfing Niagara. The neighborhood Of the
Chilean base-called the Louise Philippe Coast
is covered with a continuous ice sheet with
occasional rock outcrops Offshore, for O dis~
tance of about ten miles, there are many
rocky islands and submerged cliffs. The waters
are essentially uncharted. During the year
the officers at the Chilean base have made
extensive natural history collections, including
several fish believed new to science.
A base will be set up this year at Marguerite
Bay center of the most disputed area Of the
Antarctic. This was one of the bases of ths
1889 Byrd expedition. Throughout the war.
Great Britain maintained a permanent base
there and claims the territory under the
Falkland Islands government. This base 10
being continued. Commander Finn Rome
passed the last Antarctic summer close by
and had one clash with the British occupants.
This may be considered the longest continu-
ously occupied site In Antarctica, strategicaly
located at the foot Of the Palmer Peninsula,
an excellent point of departure for expeditions
inland.
Capt. Leopoldo Fontaine, assistant chief Of
staff of the Chilean Navy, proposes this year
to install an equally permanent settlement with
that Of the British its personnel to be relieved
each summer. The Chileans will be thoroughly
equipped to withstand the rigors of the winter
f,io will bo
homeland by radio.
A major object will be to carry out meteoro-
logical observations to supplement those re.
ported by British and Americans In the past
These are Of special importance because the
Marguerite Bay area is one of the cradles Of
storms which sweep up the western coast OF
South America. During the summer northern
winds blow continuously for weeks at q time
and nearby are some of the Antarctic hell
holes" gigantic tunnels formed by coastal
mountains through which are forced hurricane
winds from the pole. .n
Area of Drift Ice.
Once the Chilean party is installed, they
will be prisoners Of the ice until the next
Antarctic summer The constant winds pro-
duce densely packed area of drift ice which
makes the bay inaccessible to ships until east
erly gales drive the pack ice seaward. Swift
tidal currents often carry vast quantities Of
ice into the bay which are buffeted back by
the heavy north winds sweeping OF the high
interior.
The region now claimed jointly by Chile
and Great Britain-it lies well outside the
limits of any possible American claims-was
first visited by American sealers in 1921, but
details of its coastline were first sketched
vaguely by the French explorer, DR.. Jean
Charcot, in 1909. The fauna and fora have
been extensively collected by both British and
American wintering parties.
Chile's claims in the Antarctic embrace all
the western portion of the Palmer Peninsula.
They are based partly on exploration in the
past and partly on the doctrine of contingency,
whereby polar lands sovereignty is accorded In
the Northern Hempishere to the lands inlme-
diately south of them. Thus all Arctic terri.
tory is divided between Canada, Russia, Norway
and Denmark. This doctrine, however, never
has been recognized for the Antarctic. If 1t
were recognized, Chile, which occupies the
southern tip of South America, would have
very impressive claim to the whole Of the
northern projection of the Antarctic con-
tinent.
Permanent occupation, however, 10 q pres
entday requirement and only recently has this
become possible for Antarctic territory.
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- ror, r,,,,h of +ba ooet of operatinc tha