ANTARCTIC LANDS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 10 April 1930, Page 3

ANTARCTIC LANDS

A “TRADE”SUGGESTED BY AMERICA

PROPOSAL- TO BRITAIN r Xo official communication has been received by TTie Commonwealth Government- about the suggestion cabled from New York that there should be an exchange of sovereign rights in the Antarctic to give Britain sovereignty over the territory adjacent to Australia in return for Wilkes Land or the Falkland Islands. This question was raised at the last Imperial Conference, and in the summary of proceedings, the lands m the Antarctic, south of Australia, to which it was stated British titles to sovercighty existed by virtue of discovery, were Enderby Land, Kemp Land. Queen Mary Land, King George \ . Land, and Oates Land next to the Ross Sea. To be added to these is the large area discovered by Sir Douglas Mawson during his present voyage of exploration, and named Macßobertson Land, in honour of the Melbourne man who sponsored the expedition. Between Queen Marv Land and King George \b Land is Wiikes Land, named afler°a United States naval officer who cruised in this region early last century. Adelie Land, which also lies in the Australian sector of Antarctica, is claimed by the French also. The claim is based on the discovery by the French explorer, Dumond D’Urville, about 100 years ago. Macßobertson Land lies between Lnderby Land and Queen Mary Land. The area lying west of Adelie Lard was on its discovery bv the Mav am expedition of 1912, named Wilkes 1 .ml in honour of the American ofliccr mci' tioned. The Imperial Conference considered that a title, by virtue of discovery, belongs to Britain in that area.