THE ANTARCTIC

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 61, 14 March 1927, Page 10

THE ANTARCTIC

FKENCH AND OTHER ACTIVITIES

AUSTRALIA LACKING

SAFEGUARDING WHALING INDUSTRY

Enthusiastic regarding Antarctic research, and looking remarkably fit after a world tour, Sir Douglas Mawson passed through Wellington to-day on the Maunganui, on his way to. resume his duties at Adelaide University. Aecornpanied by Lady Mawson, he has visited England, America, and South Africa, including southern Rhodesia and has spent some time in Europe, staying awhile in France, the entire tour covering some ten months.

It is a matter of keen regret by Sir Douglas that Australia, which discovered the richest part of the great Antarctic, continent, has as yet no definite representation in the furtherance of its destinies, and his visit to the Old Country had as one of its crief objects the desire to ascertain just exactly what were the immediate prospects of Australian jurisdiction over part of the Antarctic.

"At present," he said, "the Discovery is investigating the whale fisheries and conducting scientific research which will carry her well into Antarctic -waters, and should add considerably to the store of knowledge in regard to them. I am keenly interested to see what steps Australia will take in regard to some representation in the Antarctic. Australia and New Zealand were both asked by the Colonial Office to express their views about the Antarctic. New Zealand replied, and seems to have its own claim to the Eoss Sea Dependency. The Australian Government seems to have let matters drag on without doing anything for five years. In the meantime the French have been looking into the question, and there should be no further delay. We have tried to get the Commonwealth Government to do something definite, and to assert Austral, 's claim there. The matter was discussed at the last Prime Ministers' conference at Home. The upshot of the mention of the question at the Prime Ministers' conference was merely a statement that it was the intention of Great Britain and the colonies to proseeuto investigations in Antarctica. The possibilities of Adelie Land are very great, and I hope thrjt something further will be done, and ' also that the Australian Government will assert its claims. France only saw the country for two days in 1840, while we doubled it, and surveyed the coasts.

"One very good reason for an immediate understanding is: the imperative need for united control and action in the whale fisheries. The whales seem to circulate round the continent from west to east, and so, if they are intercepted and killed at more than one point, or if there are rival organisations working independently of each other with the idea of catching the greatest possible number of whales in the shortest time, no record of the whales killed will be obtainable, and the whales will become extinct in twenty years. The conservation of this field to Imperial effort would permit of the united control necessary in the interests of the industry."

Sir Douglas was very much interested in the movements of the Alonso, the whaler with ultra-modern equipment which is operating independently apparently with no fixed base in the Antarctic, as extensive operations on such a basis would nullify Britain's atto"ipts at control of the whale fisheries in the Antarctic.

"No immediate expedition to the Antarctic is being planned that I know of," he concluded, "but if funds were available, I would be glad to lead one in a year or two's time.''