THE RACE FOR THE POLES

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 26 September 1925, Page 11

THE RACE FOR THE POLES

WEALTH OF THE FROZEN WASTES

NATIONS CONTEND FOR OWNERSHIP.

to achieve sovereignty in *^ J the Polar regions' are multiplying. It has long bben the custom of explorers to hoist their national flags on any land they discover, and even, as in the ease of the North Pole, on the frozen surface of the Arctic Ocean; but until recently this custom was not regarded as other than a very natural exhibition of pride of race. Today the ease is diffierent, and half-a-dozen countries are asserting rights of sovereignty over the territories extending to either Pole. Even the icecovered surface of the Arctic is regarded as a territorial possession, for, in the account of his great flight, Amundsen reported that no land was found- in “the Norwegian 'sector.” of the North Polar Basin.

The nations principally concerned in this scramble for the Poles are Canada, the United States, Norway, Denmark and Russia in the north; New Zealand, Australia, Great Britain and France in the south. Tlie ■ contest is not so meaningless as might be* supposed from the inhospitable character of the Arctic and Antarctic regions (says a writer in the Sydney Sun). Spitsbergen, with its extensive coal mines, is- not the only Polar country with mineral resources, while Greenland and the Arctic Islands, with a fairly abundant vegetable and animal life, support hardy if scanty population. But tlie. principal wealth is in their waters, and the whale, seal and other industries need land depots for their business. In the Antarctic the fisheries alone afford hn economic reason for exploitation. as is shown, for example, in the • pending departure- of Scott’s old ship, the Discovery, to make scientific investigations into whaling, sealing and kindred matters. As for the mainland., unlike "the friendly north,” the Antarctic continent is without vegetation, and consequently without life, save for the seals and penguins found on, its> coasts.

In the Arctic regions one State only has any ancient rights of occupation, and that is Denmark, which lias had settlements on the west coast- of Greenland, for centuries. When two or three years ago Denmark sought to have her. sovereignty acknowledged over the whole island —Greenland may be claimed as. the largest island in the world —Norway raised objections on behalf of the fishing stations her seamen, had on, the east coast. By an agreement reached last year Denmark guaranteed Norway tlie continued exercise of all the facilities, ashore and afloat, hitherto; enjoyed by Norwegian sealers and others. Similar privileges have .just been granted to British subjects.. Greenland apart, the doctrine of the hinterland is invoked to reinforce or, on occasion, to override rights claimed in virtue of discovery. Thus, while Canada, despite Stefansson’s efforts, has disowned any interest in Wrangel Island, which lies north of Siberia, she asserts her right to all land north of the mainland of the Dominion as far as the Pole. On the' east tlie frontier claimed is a line passing midway between Greenland on the one side and Baff li, Devon and Ellesmere Island oil the other side till the ; 60tli meridian of longitude is reached, and thence along that meridian to the Pole. On the west Canadian claims are bounded by the 141st meridian, which, on the mainland, marks the "Canadian-Alaskan frontier. To the islands already known within the , limits named Canada has ,an excellent right, and she actually main-

tains posts on Devon and Ellesmere Islands. All rights held by - Great Britain in this Arctic Archipelago by virtue of discovery and formal annexation were transferred to tlie Dominion Government in 1880. Part, however, of the region is unexplored-; it. also Includes the route by -which Peary reached the Pole, and since '1913 expeditions from the, United States.have been at. work in it- endeavouring in part to find tlie mysterious " Crokeir Land which Peary thought he sightedCaptain Donald MacMillan, wh o. . lig s led these expeditions,. is again- on his way to the Arctic, and he is believed to 'have authority from Washington to annex any new land he may discover. This report has led the Canadian Government to send a Note to Washing-, ton in which, in offering any help in. its power to Captain MacMillan, the Canadian claim to sovereignty is impliedly made. There the matter at pre‘sent rests. British sovereignty over large areas' of the Antarctic is not questioned. The dependencies of • the Falklands include not only Soiith Georgia, the South Shetlands, the South Orkneys and other islands, but Graham Land, and other parts "of the Antarctic continent. Farther east the Ross Dependency is British territory administered “by New Zealand. This dependency -extends ‘‘to -all islands ;>\d territories between IdOdeg. east and 150 deg. . west, situated south of 60deg'south latitude.” It therefore goes v south to the Pole, and includes tlie routes followed by Scott, Sliackleton and Amundsen: The'*'ivaters "of the Ross Sea. are regularly visited by Norwegian whalers and others under licence from the New Zealand Government. u *

Adjoining Die Ross Sea Dependency are Wilkes , Land •, jaudi. tlie.- ..Victoria Quadrant. This part."of Antarctica "lies south of Australia) and its most distinguished. explorer is an Austidlian—• Si r Douglas 'Mawson. Along 'its Icoasts whaling and sealing industries' of Some magnitude have developed, and, as Mr Bruce, the Prime Minister, announced the other day, the Australian Government’s claim to this region' (from 160 to OOdcg east) is being pressed strongly on the British Cabinet,

Here; however, it, appears the French are making objections on the ground that part of. tlie territory, Adelie Land, was discovered by Jules Dumont d’Urville in 1840, and by him named; after his wife and taken-possession of-in the name of Fiance. As, with the notable exception of Dr Charcot, d’Ur.villei is the only French explorer of the- Antarctic, a sentimental value is attached in Paris to his work! But tlie parallel with New Zealand anrt tlie Doss Dependency seems to hold good. The. policing of the waters of Wilkes’ Laud is the. natural task of Australia... As for Adelie Land itself, it appears to be. the most disagreeable spot on the face of the- globe, D ’Urville was wise as well as fortunate in making only a landing "to take possession.”. When Mawson .spent many weary months there a contiiiupus succession of terrific blizzards drove torrents of drift snow from inland- into, the sea. Mawson’s- liut would have gone, too, had it not been buried beneath the snow drifts. The blizzards had an average velocity of over 50 miles an hour, and. sometimes raged at more than double . that speed. Fortunately this is"a unique weather record. Little wonder that Mawson entitled the record of liis experience “The Home of the Blizzard.” •