ANTARCTIC AIR BASES

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27664, 21 May 1955, Page 7

ANTARCTIC AIR BASES

NEGOTIATIONS OVER ESTABLISHMENT

LONDON, May 19. Negotiations are in progress between some countries claiming sovereignty in the Antarctic for the establishment of air routes over the area, says the “Scotsman.” -Britain. Australia, New Zealand, France and Norway are concerned, as well as the United States, which makes no claim. • The routes would be used for both commercial and military purposes. Bases will be required which can ■be used both for civilian and military aeroplanes, like some of those the United States has built in Greenland. The practicability of establishing air bases in the Antarctic has increased with the perfection of new methods of processing snow to make it hard enough to bear heavy wheeled aeroplanes. The recent or projected scientific missions to the Antarctic are not unconnected with the planning of air routes and bases. The American icebreaker Atka established that there were only four accessible harbours in the whole Antarctic coast. This greatly lessens the possibility of the capture of air k y sea-borne raiding parties. The Commonwealth trans-Antarctic expedition of 1957 will alsb provide useful information in the siting of nases, the “Scotsman” says.