SIR HUBERT WILKINS.

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17985, 2 April 1930, Page 5

SIR HUBERT WILKINS.

HONOURED IN NEW YORK.

TRIBUTES TO HIS WORK.

INTERNATIONAL IN ITS TENEFITS.

United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. —Copyright. NEW YORK', March 31. The Commissioner-General for Australia in the United States, Mr Herbert Brookes, and Mrs Brookes gave a dinner in honour of Sir Hubert and Lady Wilkins. There were b2 guests. Sir Harry Armstrong, British Con-sul-General in New York, paid a tribute to Sir Hubert. He said that when the explorer made his flight across the Arctic he was claimed as an American by some of the newspapers in the United States. Sir Harry said that he and the former British Ambassador, Sir Esmc Howard, were much pleased when King George conferred a knighthood upon Sir Hubert a month later.

The president of the American Geographical Society, Mr G. 11. Finley, remarked that without waiting a month his soefely had awarded the explorer its gold medal. Indeed it did so three days after his llight. in responding Sir Hubert referred to the independence of the Australian character. He commented on the remarks of Mr Finley and Sir Harry Armstrong, and said he came to the inevitable conclusion that his work was international in ils benefits. The explorer made important explanations about ids submarine expedition to the Arctic, next. year. lie. said people thought the contemplated trip fantastic, impossible and Loo dangerous. But SI eff an ns on, in 1913, had declared that the aeroplane ultimately would be limited to reconnaissance work in the polar regions and that the submarine bad tbe greatest possibilities. Sir Hubert said lie now found this was borne out. Thirteen years of study bad convinced him that by submarine alone could a practical study he made of the currents and depths in the Arctic Sea—possibly the deepest ocean in the world. Pendulum tests would determine whether the north is truly the top of the world. In his flight of more than 1000 miles and in his journey on foot over 5000 miles of Arctic ice-packs he had seen no icc field longer than 25 miles. Therefore a submarine would always be able to rise to the surface for recharging batteries for trips of 135 miles under the sea. Furthermore, there were the devices for breaking through the ice, etc. i The most important factor of the submarine was the ability to land parties on the ice for study at convenient intervals. In a subsequent interview Sir Hubert said his aim and ambition were even more extensive than he had announced. He admitted that the Arctic was so well known that there remained little pioneer work to tj°, but he was going to the Arctic principally to study the summer ice conditions —such a very important factor in all the polar regions.

The experience he hoped to gain in the North would enable him, immediately after the northern summer of 1931, to proceed to the Antarctic with a submarine for even more extensive investigations there.