POLAR EXPLORATION.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 24 April 1914, Page 5

POLAR EXPLORATION.

' PRIORITY OF RIGHT."

Apropos of the controversy which has been caoled out concerning the "priority of right" claimed by both Sir E. Shaokleton and Dr. Konig in connection with their forthcoming visits to Antarctica, the following statement oj Sir E. Shackleton is interesting:— Sir Einest Shackleton said nis last word in the controversy raised by Dr. Konig, of Vienna, who claims a prior, and apparently an exclusive right, to employ the Weddell Sea as a base for an Antarctic expedition at the end of the year. "My letter to Dr. Konig, published in the Pre.;s on Wednesday," said Sir F.rnest V> a representative of the Daily Mail, "»vas, 1 think, clear and explicit. '" and I shall not dscuss it further. Only on one point I should like to make a definite and emphatic statement. Dr. ■ Konig mentions that if there are the two expeditions starting from the same base there is a danger that the depots of the one may be used by the other Dr. Konig can be assured that the Imperial Transantarctic Expedition would not on any account or in any circumstances touch any Austrian depots that might be formed. Our object is to add to the geographical and scientific prestige of our country. That is what we are going to try to do. That is all." ! Questioned vith regard to the Government grant of £10,000 which was announced the preceding day, Sir Ernost replied: 'I have, row promised to me £50,000. a sum which is about the minimum for an expedition of this scope. It does not allow for a supporting party on the Weddell Sea side. Yon will understand that in these expeditions there are very few items on which economy can be practised. The last, of course, is the rations. lam sdad to say that many big firms h? >ya hecn good enough to present us wifh <w>me of the essential stoves. an illustration of the way in which the money goes I will just mention that i liqvft jii«+ beard that an pdditionnl £1000 will lw necessary for alterations to our shio." Asked what sum would put the expedition in the position of' the fullest capability, Sir Ernest replied- "T\•ith £70.000 we could do all that a. single expedition could be expected to do. We could, in effect, do the work of more than one expedition. The differed o& between the £50,000 and the £70,000 would mean that we could have a srnprvorting narfcy on the Weddell Sea si^e. We could nave 50 or 60 more dogs for the "R,o*s Sea side, so that that party could advance fn.rt.her to meet me and that ppHy could be larger. Moreover, we could take a. larger supnlv of oil fnpi, wT>ioh would <~lnr>trnn D-ivis (who will be with the Weddell Sen sMn) to trivo a widar scope to hi* Evdroernnhkal work and coastal discovery "T v pn\r now wliati I b°ve fi<>id before —flip, ionr^iev pron^isses tbe richest ceo- '■ f^li") ffirr-^virict, . nr r>.T>-*'»o+. in +o <«»■••»••"■ *\>n, Priti^V fln^. r,^^ x^ e Antarctic- Continent " —Daily Mail.