The Friendly Arctic.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18413, 20 June 1925, Page 14

The Friendly Arctic.

The arrival of Amundsen and his party at King's Bay adds six moro witnesses to the friendliness of the Arctic. It suggests not only that Stefansson Tras right in refusing to be worried in this partionlar ease, but that he is right in his general theory that the Arctic is not the terrible plaoe it is supposed to be, "With brains and a good rifle, he has long argued, any man can feed himself in the Arctic, as with science and a few simple instruments ho can easily find his way about. But such a theory of course assumes that the ad.Yen.turw; will keeD to {ho ieo and.

the snow, If he lakes wings and flies ho exposes himself, as Amundsen and his five companions did, to the risk of accident while in the air or landing; though that risk is only a little sharper in the Arctic than in the Atlantic or Pacific. If the air were as clear it would perhaps bo less daring to fly round the Polo than to cross the Sahara, for (here would he a risk of a crash or a forced landing in each case, and the desert might prove less friendly than the ice. Jn any case it has been proved that man can carry, drag, or float enough food and equipment into the North Polar regions to give him a sporting chance of escape whatever happens. It is clear from the scraps wc already have of Amundsen's own account that his party suffered hardships, and that they took grave risks in unloading stores and making a dash back to land. But it is not clear that they suffered so much, or nearly so much, as the average South Polar explorer, and it looks as if the South. Pole will remain the stupendous cemetery it now is long after the North has yielded its last secret. It must be a bitter pill for Amundsen to know that if he had not been carried out of his course by aircurrents he would probably have reached ibe Pole, and would have a distinction now that, no man on earth has enjoyed since the beginning of time. There will be, no one in Norway to-day whose joy at the party's safe return is not clouded by the thought of their brilliant failure; and few, wo should like to think, in any country. And yet it is too much to expect that there will be as deep sorrow in Britain and in America as in Norway, or that the members of the MaeMillan and Algarsson parties—both preparing so eagerly under their own flags-—will grieve as men grievo who are forbidden consolation. It seemed a month ago that the air race to the North Polo was Norway's, whether the fliers .survived or perished. To-day the prize is still to he won, and it is that fact, and not the sad fate of Amundsen, of which two small groups will be thinking to-morrow.