The Hawera Star SATURDAY, MAY 23, 1925 NORTH. FOR, THE POLE

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 23 May 1925, Page 4

The Hawera Star

SATURDAY, MAY 23, 1925 NORTH. FOR, THE POLE

Delivered every evening by 5 o’clock •» Hawera, Manaia. Normanby, Okaiawa, Kltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Alton. Ilurleyville, Patea, Waverley, Mokoia, Whakaniara, Ohangai, Meremere, Fraser lload, • an Ararata.

4 —— In, the whole history of exploration there has been no more bitter disappointment than that which came to the late Captain Scott and his gallant companions on that January day ir 1912, when they saw before them the Norwegian flag floating above the South Pole. Captain Amundsen’s triumph of thirteen years ago m brought vividly to mind to-day by the news that the same intrepid Seandanavian has taken off from Spitsbergen on hi»s attempt to reach the North Pole by air. By this time, indeed, either one man will be able to say that he has; stood upon both caps of the earth, or a maimed and broken aeroplane will be lost in the everlasting stillness of the frozen seas. There are decided risks attaching both to polar journeys and to exploration by ‘air; with both combined the chances of success are- more than doubtful. But. on the other hand there is this to be considered': that victory in this enterprise will make a double contribution to science; so the good wishes of the world will have gone with Captain Amundsen and his comrades. It is af, such times as. this that the advances made in the means of transport and communication within a -brief dozen years are brought home to us in all their startling reality. Amundsen found the South Pole thirty-two days before Scott; yet the Englishmen had reached the limit of their return journey, and the little tent among the snows had become a tomb, before the world knew of the Norwegian's’ success. This time, if success be won, it will be- announced by the explorers from the pole itself, and the twin journey to that which, thirteen years ago, took so many weary weeks is calculated now to be a matter of hours only. In. succession man has half conquered. the sea, the air and distance; now ho concentrates his power over all. three on an attempt to carry the ice, the last of Nature' strongholds. If Nature wills, it. he will wm; if not —Kismet!

’{As we go to.press the cables- report that Amundsen'lias won. through.. If the report be confirmed the world will not be sparing in its congratulations.]