ATTITUDE OF PUBLIC

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 150, 22 March 1934, Page 4

ATTITUDE OF PUBLIC

Difficulty An Explorer Has to Face NAUTILUS EXPEDITION Instancing the public’s attitude to his attempt to penetrate into the Arctic by submarine, Sir Hubert Wilkins commented on the importance of public opinion in planning such ventures. His address was delivered at a largely-at-tended reception by the Wellington Philosophical Society. Sir Hubert said that from the time of his first announcement in the United States that he was planning his submarine expedition, his greatest difficulty was the public’s attitude. The people, for one tiling, thought that the only polar “romance” lay in whipping along dog teams in' the face of great dangers. It had not at first occurred to him that the public’s sanction with regard to his venture was liable to be withheld owing to the fact that old ideas of polar exploration held fast, and there was no “romance” in his submarine project. When it was known that he .had hired the Nautilus from the United States Navy there was a general outcry, Sir Hubert continued. The Navy at that time had been scrapping many out-of-date submarines, and he had persuaded them to lend him the Nautilus for the sum of one dollar. Newspapers raised a cry that he had bought the Nautilus for a dollar, and this turned opinion still more against him. Then, to allay a proportion of the fears, he was forced to use in the submarine all sorts of superfluous so-called safety contrivances, which proved actually hindrances. All the navies declared that his intention of penetrating under the pack ice could not be carried. out, and he had had to treat that situation also very gingerly.

In spite of his breakdown in the Atlantic, he had at last managed to take tlie submarine nuder pack ice for about 30 miles, doiug this before being forced to abandon the expedition to help demonstrate its feasibility. The idea bad first been conceived in an imaginative, way by a writer' 300 years ago, and since then, particularly since the actual practical invention of tlie submarine, had recurred many times. In spite of having to work against such a public, bo had in two years turned popular and scientific feeling from absolutely negative Into the possibility of a positive one. He was hopeful that, with the experience gained with the Nautilus, within the next year or so he would be able to build an entirely suitable submarine for a further attempt.