GEOLOGIST PRAISES WORK BYRD IS DOING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18936, 5 December 1929, Page 10

GEOLOGIST PRAISES WORK BYRD IS DOING.

“ IS TO BE HEARTILY CONGRATULATED,” SAYS ANTARCTIC VETERAN. (Special to the “Star.”) WELLINGTON, December 5. Mr H. T. Ferrar, geologist in Captain Scott’s first Antarctic expedition, 1901 tc 1904, says that the claims of the “ Washington Post ” on behalf of the United States are rather slender. “ Its editor forgets that it is well known that Ross innocently and Scott intentionally sailed over places where Wilkes had mapped and named landfalls. “ Commander Byrd’s story shows that he and his pilots are to be heartily congratulated on their successful twenty-four hours’ flight to the South Pole and back. The air surveys and air reconnaissances that are being made will facilitate the work of Professor Gould and his geographical party. Now that Byrd has achieved one of the objects of his expedition he will no doubt carry his explorations eastwards and discover territory to which legitimate claim may be laid. “ Major Gran’s remarks about mountain ranges near the Pole are hard to follow. For instance, he talks of some of these ranges being south of the Pole, which, of course, is absurd. It is difficult to understand what he means by saying that the land is on whole a plane. It is well known that the polar plateau is 9000 feet above the great ice Barrier. Moreover, it is buttressed by mountains 12,000 feet to 15,000 feet high, between which Byrd had to pass on his flight. The journalist at Little America sustained interest in the expedition during the past winter by vividly describing conditions of life in the Antarctic—particularly the trials of the sledging parties. These, however, are well-known to polar travellers and can be read in any of the many narratives of other expeditions already published. Hence Gran’s impatience.”