MR ELLSWORTH’S CLAIM TO LAND

Southland Times, Issue 23716, 14 January 1939, Page 5

MR ELLSWORTH’S CLAIM TO LAND

Study By American

Officials

POTENTIAL AIR BASES IN ANTARCTICA (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received January 13, 10.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, January 13. While indicating his interest in Mr Lincoln Ellsworth’s claim to 80,000 square miles of territory, the Secretary for State (Mr Cordell Hull) said he was not prepared to comment yet, says the Washington correspondent of The New York Times. The question renuires considerable study before officials will be in a position to say anything about the American attitude. It : -.ay, however, well, enter as a factor in the rival claims of Governments to territory in the polar regions because of potential aeroplane bases. It is thought that when the sovereignty of various Pacific islands is cleared up the United States plans to turn its consideration to the sovereignty of Antarctica, where it is felt that a long line of discoveries has laid a broad basis for the asserting of American claims.

“Eighty thousand square miles of land never seen before by human eyes have been added to the known area of the world’s surface and, following the precedent set in earlier discoveries. I have claimed the area for the United States," said Mr Lincoln Ellsworth in a North American newspaper alliance copyright message. "I have just completed a flight on which I could see to latitude 74.30 South of longitude 79 East and as our altitude in the flight was nearly 12,000 feet and the visibility perfect, I could see at least 150 miles on each side from the aeroplane. There are no mountains in this entire area and. although snow covered, it might some years hence become snow free and disclose rich mineral deposits.”