ARCTIC AIRWAYS SHORTEST

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12151, 30 May 1925, Page 16

ARCTIC AIRWAYS SHORTEST

DEVELOPMENT OF NORTHERN STATIONS When you look at a map of. North America. Europe, aud Asia drawn with tile North Pole as centre, you see that the Polar ocean is really only a small body of water almost completely surrounded by land. , That is the first point of view of the men headed bv S’tefansson and Amundsen who are trying to interest the world in the Arctic air routes lietween the cities of the Northern Hemisphere. Their second viewpoint 'is that the shortest airlines between t.lie northern continents pass through the Arctic. For example, the shortest air route between London and Tokyo passes near the North Pole. By combination of these two viewpoints we have this: The shortest air routes between the continents and passing largely over land with only short hops across water. This brings us to the third point of view, upon which great stress has been laid by Stefansson in particular. The arctic islands and continent fringes traversed by these air routes are. for the most part, not at all the icy, snowy lands tile old story books led us to believe. For example, Eskimos and Indians now keep great herds of reindeer the year around on the north coast of Alaska Oaribou and range all over the Arctic islands to the north of America. That means grass. Tt also means that there is not enough winter snow in those regions to barv the grass beyond the reach of the animals In several rears on Banks Land to the north of the Amerivn continent. Stefansson found that Hr* average annual nrecipitntion—the total of rain. snow, fog and mist—dore not exceed six nr ei'dit inches. Anri temperatures there —because; of the r»rn-rim'tv of ocean do out fe't as low as iu Montana. This third '-; e(vr)n j„t i*nr—-tant because it indicates the feasimitu of using these Arctic shores as landi-vt-plaoes.

Tile A-’crirnn round-thp-worVl fl-e-s KiieesH the northern shores -s fc*- as nnssiVc because th«*r» th“ shorrtest hne s across water. Th-v rrmH uot go farther north hrennse th°—* are no eouiiwvl stations in the AH'". Tt se-ms nltnrether r*r-.br*Vp th-t when iHer-oovituieotn* q-:-,- r n*'+oc. or, do--loood fh-ro ,-,’ll *o'-o f T.„ <*-. tu- ot-wovs. *-;»h i.„a;,|g stations maintained on Polar lands.

Through the wheel of his cycle catching tn a tram line, Victor H. Couzcns was thrown in front f a ’bus and killed in High road. Wood Green.