POLAR AIR ROUTE TO EAST

Evening Star, Issue 19924, 21 July 1928, Page 14

POLAR AIR ROUTE TO EAST

BRITISH TRIBUTE TO EXPLORERS Captain G. H. (now Sir George) Wilkins and Lieutenant C. B. Eielson, who recently carried out iap;,,tant Arctic exploration during a twentyhours’ flight from Alaska to Spitzbergen, were entertained on the arrival in London at a luncheon given in their honour by the British Government at the Hotel, Sir Samuel Hoare, Secretary of State for Air, who presided, spoke of the possibilities of (lights from England to the East by way of the North Pole, which their achievement had advanced. Captain Wilkins indicated his belief that the establishment of meteorological stations in Polar regions will enable forecasts of the great weather changes to be made, and said he hoped to be allowed to carry out a similar exploration in this connection in the Polar area south of the Pacific. Proposing the health of the two guests, Sir Samuel Hoare said they hud behind them a long record ot distinguished Polar exploration, They had flown together 18,000 miles in Polar regions, and had made three Arctic journeys together. Captain kins, true to his vigorous Australian stock, had crammed a large number of thrilling incidents into the forty years of Ins life. Lieutenant Eielson was the first pilot to fly in Polar expeditions Not only had these explorers survived great dangers and difficulties during their flight, hut they were able during the whole of the flight to carry out observations which he believed would prove of the greatest value to the world at large. The flight was particularly important to those who wore interested in aviation. He remembered Mr Stefansson. who always spoke of the Arctic regions as we might speak of the Riviera, saying: “You will see in the future that the world will look tc the Polar regions for its principal food supplies, and in the time to come the reindeer of the North is going to take the place of the beef of Argentina and the United Kingdom. You or your successor will seo thut the Polar regions will become the principal air route between the West and the East, It would be seen from a study of the map that the flying route from the United Kingdom to Japan was 6,000 miles across the Polar regions, whereas it was 11,000 miles by the ordinary shipping and flying routes ol to-day. In view of these facts and o) Lie progress that aviation was daily making at a startling rate, might it not bo expected that these regions, hitherto unknown and inhospitable, might bocome a regular and shorter air route between Europe and the bar East? The flight of Captain Wilkins and Lieutenant Eielson was one of the most remarkable incidents in the history of aviation. The fact that it had been done by only two men in a single machine was a commentary on the assertion that as civilisation developed so man became more and more the slave of the machine. What better testimony could there bo of the victory of humanity over the machine and of the success of mankind in compelling the machine to help m overcoming the terrors of Nature? “ We are grateful to you,” he added, “ for giving us this striking and dramatic instance of the victory of man over the machine and of man over the terrors of Nature. I noted in an article describing your flight the fact that at Port Barrow, in Alaska, the Eskimos have named Captain Wilkins Anakluto, which, being interpreted, I am told, means ‘ the strong, wise man.’ (Cheers.) I am inclined to think the Eskimos are right. They see in Captain Wilkins and Lieutenant Eielson the embodiment of the strength and wisdom that is ready , to face danger and to endure discomfort and privation, and that is constantly adding to the fund of human knowledge and to the lengthening record of 'human achievement.” (Cheers.) Mr Amery, Secretary for the Dominions, speaking in support of tno toast, referred to the value of the flight as an exploration. Never before in history, ho said, had so much of the world’s map been cleared up in a single day. Vast areas of the Arctic Ocean, about whicli we knew nothing a month or two ago, were today definitely settled as to what they contained in the shape of land and sea. CAPTAIN WILKINS’S STORY.

Captain Wilkins, who made the chief response, mentioned the tendency among other people who had entertained them to refer to their flight as having been across the North Pole. It was never their plan to fly within 300 miles of the Foie. “We had planned,’’ he continued, “to explore the area to the north-east of Point Barrow for a particular purpose. We had learned that aeroplanes could fly in almost any latitude, and we didn’t undertake our Arctic flight to show that they could do this, but with tho idea that we might discover in that area north-east of Point Barrow some point on which a meteorological station might be established—one of a series that may in tho future prove of advantage in many ways.’’ Ho then explained how they had set off three years ago on tho first part of this quest, searching first the area to tho west of Point Barrow in tho hope of finding some islands there that would suit. In 1926 they had great misfortune, and w’ere not able to do more than 200 miles of exploration. In 1927, profiting by the experience they had gained, they flew to the north-west of Point Barrow, to continue their investigations. They had planned to fly 600 miles to the northwest, to land if land were found, and take soundings, and if necessary to go farther afield. The engine failed twenty minutes before they reached the point where they expected to land, and they were forced to prove their contention that they could make a safe landing. Fortunately, part of the small percentage of Arctic ice that was normally free was beneath them. They then took a sounding, which showed that the ocean there was more than a mile deep, and that, t. refore, there were not likely to be any islands in that vicin' On their return journey their engine failed them eighty miles from their base, and they had to abandon tho machine and walk homo. This year they had only the northeastern sector to investigate, and uiey planned that, if they found no land within 600 miles, thev might as well go on and complete the flight to Spitsbergen. When they ran into the storm near Spitzbergen they had the choice of waiting till it was past or of going on and facing it. “ I wrote a note to Eielson,” he added, ‘explaining this. He considered for a moment and then shouted back: ‘i am willing to go on if you think you can find the way.’ After my experience and trainhi. with Stefansson I have always believed P possible to find my way about on the Arctic ice, but although we had to carry our food with us on our walk home last year, Eielson has not had to live on the Polar Sea ice, and it required much greater courage for him than for me to continue the journey that day. I knew that in that storm the whole of the burden would be oh his shoulders. Our presence here today shows how he managed that job.” He had discovered, after working for several years on the plan for the meteorological stations, that a bishop bearing his name, who, he believed, was an ancestor of his, proposed in 1673 that there should bo an investigation of polar conditions with a view to forecasting seasonal conditions. His experience of droughts in Australia and of the hardships which great weather changes could bring led him

to believe it was necessary to investigate meteorological conditions in the future, so as to avoid those sufferings. “We might,” he continued, “by a meteorological plan be able to forecast these conditions, , Working along that plan, I believe wo will bo able to establish meteorological stations in the Arctic and the Antarctic that will let us know whether we can hope to get some advantage from these schemes. There are two parts of the world that need to bo explored before we can present to the Governments concerned a complete meteorological scheme—. area north of Point Barrow and that south of the Pacific Ocean. It is my determination if possible, and with the help of my very kind friends in Australia, England, and America, to investigate both tnose areas. Although our investigation to the north of Point Barrow has proved negative, we have completed our work in the Arctic, We have found it will be necessary to establish our station there on the floating ice. That will be difficult, but not impossible. The southern area remains to be explored, and I hope it will be my privilege to carry out that work.” (Cheers.) Lieutenant Eielson also briefly responded. ANTARCTIC FLIGHTS. Sir George Wilkins will not go to the South Pole, but proposes to explore the unknown land extending from the Ross Sea to Graham Land, which at present is marked on maps only by a dotted and uncertain lino. His flight of about 3,000 miles will bo very as dangerous fogs and high winds will threaten his progress. Using the Lockheed Vega seaplane, which is now being built for him, Sir George Wilkins proposes to take off from a whaling ship in the Ross Sea and take the chance that when he arrives at Graham Land he will be able to alight near one of the many whalers in those waters during January and be taken on board. His purpose is bo explore the unknown section of the Antarctic continent which exists between Ross Sea and Weddell Sea, and to elect sites for meteorological stations to be established within the next few years. The weather conditions in this part of the Antarctic are unknown, and a forced landing would almost certainly prove fatal. Sir George Wilkins expects to arrive in the Ross Sea during January, when the Antarctic Ocean will have a stretch of open sea between the coast and the pack ice. Thus it might bo possible, in the event of a forced landing, for the explorer to come down in the lee of some ice and take off again. Photographs will be taken of the ice border, of glacier tongues, and mountains.

The ultimate object which Sir George Wilkins has in mind is the establishment of meteorological stations by means of which Antarctic weather conditions can bo co-ordinated with those observed simultaneously in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and South America. It is known that relationship exists between weather conditions in the Antarctic and those in parts of these continents, but the dynamics have not yet been worked out. Sir George Wilkins hopes that Lieutenant' Eielson will be able to accompany him, but this is doubtful, because Lieutenant Eielson wishes to return to Alaska. Commander Byrd will establish his ■ base on the ice barrier, and intends to fly to, and beyond, the South Pole. He hopes to explore part of the high Antarctic plateau. He will also fly east from the ice barrier, mapping and photographing a larra part of the interior. He will try to learn whether or no the continent is divided into two great islands. Both east and west of his line of flight to the South Pole Commander Byrd will have extraordinarily favourable conditions for geographical discovery. A chain of mountains is known to extend northwest of the Ross Sea. The American Geographical Society is convinced that with Commander Byrd on the one side and Sir George Wilkins on the other wonderful views should be obtained of the longest unexplored mountain chain in the world, the Antarctic continuation of the great Andean Cordillera,