TERRITORIAL RIGHTS

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21412, 2 March 1935, Page 12

TERRITORIAL RIGHTS

BYRD EXPEDITION TO ANTARCTICA CONVERSATION WITH lord BLEDISLOE [THE PRESS Special Service.] DUNEDIN, March I. In a conversation entirely unofficial in character which took place between the Governor-General (Lord Bledisloe) and Rear-Admirai R. E. Byrd before his Excellency's departure from Dunedin, the question of territorial rights in the Antarctic was mentioned, and the Gov-ernor-General was assured by RearAdmiral Byrd that the United States, so far as his influence went, would make no claims respecting territory arising out of the expedition's activities.

Throughout the time during which Rear-Admiral Byrd has been in the south, Lord Bledisloe showed his interest in the scientific and exploration work of the expedition. On a number of occasions, he was in touch by radio with Rear-Admiral Byrd, between whom and himself there exists a close friendship, based not only on personal grounds, but on a common interest in scientific matters. When Rear-Admiral Byrd called on his Excellency, the latter expressed his pleasure at the safe return of the expedition, and evinced his interest in the scientific won: that had been accomplished in various fields of research. With reference to the question of territorial rights in Antarctica, an assurance was given by Rear-Admiral Byrd that the United States had no ambitions in this respect regarding the land which had been discovered by the expedition, and he said that, so far as he could speak as a representative of his country, no claims would be made. The expedition had been of a purely scientific character, and territorial acquisitions had not been considered, nor was the subject ever likely to be a cause of controversy.