ANTARCTICA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23857, 11 July 1939, Page 8

ANTARCTICA

Sometimes we who live in New Zealand think that we are nearer to the Antarctic than is perfectly desirable. But there is not very much left in the world now that is terra incognita to the explorer save the vast regions of perpetual ice and snow, and in these days of aerial achievement the lure of Antarctica seems to be finding a certain intensification. Within recent months there has been a more noticeable assertion of claims on the part of different nations in respect of Antarctic territory than perhaps at any time previously. It will be recalled that at the beginning of the present year, as a sequel to his activities in the far South, Mr Lincoln Ellsworth claimed that 81,000 square miles of land never before seen by man had been added to the known area of the earth's surface, and incidentally made a preliminary gesture in the direction of its appropriation to the United States. That elicited a prompt protest from officials at Canberra to the effect that Australia definitely claimed sovereignty over the area, the land forming part of that discovered by the expedition led by Sir Douglas Mawson. The United States Government did not appear to consider it desirable to take any steps to substantiate Mr Ellsworth's claims. But about the same time conflicting claims on the part of Germany and Norway to portions of the Antarctic continent were given prominence, and there was also evidence of some pressure being brought to bear on the Japanese Government to claim territorial rights in Antarctica based upon expeditionary results. Over two years ago it was indicated that Norway intended to contest sovereignty over, territory in the Antarctic comprised within the Australian sector according to a Federal Government proclamation of 1936 bringing into operation an Act passed three years earlier providing for the acceptance by the Commonwealth of an area of three million square miles to be known as the Australian Antarctic Territory. All this is of interest as an indication of how the parcelling out of Antarctica among the nations proceeds more rapidly in the assertion of territorial claims than in the consideration and settlement of these by agreement among the Governments concerned. Claims to effective sovereignty in the Antarctic are all of comparatively recent date. Some are well established, others are not. The position is likely to become more interesting with the projected resumption by Admiral Byrd of his South Polar investigations. According to a Washington message he has President Roosevelt's authority to proceed to the Antarctic to substantiate claims to American territory. His expeditionary plans must be already well advanced, since he proposes to make a start about the middle of October next, and intends to make use of three ships. Part of the general plan is apparently to establish bases which will be maintained for a considerable period. How national claims to territory traversed by aeroplane may be put upon an incontestable basis Admiral Byrd will presumably demonstrate if his operations can be carried out according to programme. There seems to be some evidence that the support extended him by the United States Government has been stimulated ' by knowledge of German plans to send an expedition into portion of Antarctica already invaded by the Americans. The use of the aeroplane, while facilitating observation and exploration in Antarctica, seems to have complicated the question of ownership of its spaces. Respecting the asset to any country that might be represented in territory in these regions there is much more speculation than certainty. Evidence has been found of the existence of mineral deposits, and some of the predictions concerning the possibility of large discoveries of oil and minerals have been very sanguine. Admiral Byrd has spoken of his knowledge of the existence of mountains containing enough coal to meet the world's needs for a long time. Some months ago he was reported as predicting

that his aext trip to Antarctica would have far greater results than any venture since the settlement of America. He foresees the region becoming a,eronautically important. The interest of , Australian scientists in 'Antarctica seems to be concerned chiefly at the moment with the! establishment there of a permanent meteorological base and also with! the possibilities of the fishing industry. The acquisition by the Commonwealth Government of the Ellsworth exploration ship Wyatt Earp should facilitate South Polar investigations from the Commonwealth. t , ;—,