TWO BASES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 306, 28 December 1939, Page 10

TWO BASES.

IN THE ANTARCTIC.

BYRD EXPEDITION.

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.

(By Telegraph..—Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, Wednesday,

The North Star Antarctic exploration ship, which, with Rear-Admiral R. E. Byrd on board, arrived to-day, will go from Wellington to Dunedin, and from there to the Bay of Whales, at Little America, where she will meet the Bear. In that vicinity a base will be established, scientists will be dropped and equipment left. Rear-Admiral Byrd will then go to Valparaiso for more materials and another aeroplane, and will then establish another base 1200 miles east. Between those two bases the work of the expedition will be carried out. Rear-Admiral Byrd will not be staying with the expedition all the time, but will return to America, and then go back after the winter to pick up the expedition. All the work, he said, would lie east of th« 150 th meridian, but he might make one flight toward the magnetic pole. The job of the expedition was to carry on scientific work where it was left off before, great emphasis being placed on meteorology, geography and geology. Mapping would also be done of spots that were still "black." Prevented by War. "My attitude is that science knows no boundaries, and that the Antarctic would not be worth fighting over, anyhow," Rear-Admiral Byrd said. "We feel so close and friendly to the British Commonwealth 'of Nations, and we want to have the same sporting relations in this matter of the Antarctic." He fc pointed out that scientific work in the Antarctic had been started by Englishmen. Sir Hubert Wilkins wanted to go down and put two bases opposite the bases of the present expedition, so that the two nations could work in cooperation in researches, but the war had prevented that being done. The expedition is equipped with four aeroplanes. The complement is 139, of which 75, including the crew, are on the North Star, and 30 of the crew will be dropped at the west base and about 27 at the east base. "We have always had very wonderful experiences here in New Zealand," said Rear-Admiral Byrd. "Everyone has been looking forward with the greatest anticipation to coming back."