Evening star., 1955-02-02
Greenland Ice Hides
Underseo Tunnels
Echo -Soundings Indicute
lnter-Hemisphere Passages
By Thomas R. Henry


There may be "holes" through
Greenland.
The great ice-capped Arctic island.
during the past few years recognized
as a land of enormous strategic i'm
portance, stands as supposedly i'm
penetrable barrier across the shortest
sea route between the old and new
worlds.
Now it may be necessary to modify
this idea. says DR.. Svend Frederiksen.
native Greenlander who currently is
a member of the faculty of the Arctic
Institute of Catholic University here.
Recent explorations, especially those
of French expeditions, indicate that the
icecap, a mile or more thick. may cover
not one, but several, islands with pas
sages between them through which it
would be easy for ship to pass if the
ice did not stand in the way.
Submarine Route?
But, says DR.. Frederiksen, there
probably is open water under the ice
in these passages through which II
would be possible for submarines to
penetrate from east to west. They
could surface in the open water Of the
summer Arctic. Thus these passages.
if they exist, may constitute hitherto
unsuspected and unguarded gateways
between the two hemispheres.
Indication of these passageways
comes from echo-sounding measure
ments through the ice. Nothing is
known of their size or even if they are
continuous. That submarines could
pass through them, DR.. Frederiksen ad-
mits, is highly speculative. The facts
can be determined only by intensive
exploration of the area.
It positively is known that there are
great mountain ranges buried under
the icecap of what is essentially sub
continent, whose shores were the first
part of the New World to be inhabited
by white men.
Conditions in Greenland have
changed during the past few years
from 1.-The stone age to the supersonic
age," says DR.. Frederiksen who. with
the Rev. Artheme A. Dutilly, director
of the Arctic Institute. is opening new
graduate course on the geography OF
the island.
Arctic warming UP.
Climate and atomic power" DR..
Frederiksen says, "are opening up the
Far North to the civilization and habi-
tation of the modern world. Recently
an atomic submarine started its first
voyage. 1t will be able to travel long
distances under ice in the Arctic ocean
which, as a passageway between conti-
nents, will gain unusual Importance.
Also recently, atomic power has been
prepared to produce electricity at the
American-built base at Thule.
"a Greenland periodical recently
reported that at the end of September
the harbor at Thule was free of ice.
There has been a warming up in the
Arctic which started during the second
half Of the 18th century. This period
of warmth succeeding a colder era. Is
universal, and, according to the theory
of the Swedish Scientist, Otto PETER
son, is the reappearing period Of an
l,800-year cycle. The theory is borne
out in the fact that vegetation, animals
and fish have in this century moved
considerably north. Man has lately
begun to follow the northward move.
finding the advantage of shorter lines
of transportation.
Mineral resources have become
newly accessible and will create q
steadily increasing potential for indus
try. In peace or war future activity will
belong in a great degree to the Far
North"