EXPEDITION MAY BE SENT TO ROSS SEA

Chronicle (Levin), 16 December 1946, Page 7

EXPEDITION MAY BE SENT TO ROSS SEA

A David and Goliath race may soon develop betwecn New,, Zealand and the United States . to be the first to reach the Antarctic, and particularly the Eoss Sea dependency, which strategic considerations and sensational possib'iiitxes. o'f atomic observations make vital 'to the Dominion, reports the New Zealand* Herald. The practicability of sending a New Zealand expedition alreddy has •been discussed on a Ministerial level, and the Cabinet is expected to decide whether New1 Zealand will be a starter in the race to the Antarctic. Ticklish internationai complieations make the subjeet bne which is av oi ded delieately around Parliament Buildings, so great is the secrecy. However, it is obvious that serious consideration has been given to sending. a New Z^ealand expedition. Apart froni the promptings of the heads of rnore than one important department, the Gabinet will influenced by internationai aspects. A welbauthenticated report states that the British Government has urged New Zealand to act immediately. Scientists' Claims Whatever1 decision is' made must not be delayed. Eleven ships carrying 4000 men of the United States Navy, under Eear-Admiral Bvrd, aiready are ofl their way to the Antarctic from California, but just as Amundscn, travelling light, beat the unsuspecting Scott to the South Pole, so niay a small New Zealand expedition forestall this giant Armada. Apart from the need to ostablish New Zealand 's sovereignty of .the Eoss Sea dependency, as yet unrecognis.ed by the United States, by establishing some permanent settlement there, New Zca land scientists cluiiu that it is imperaLi've that iiiiincdiatc action should be taken to carry out higlily important scientilic observations. To the layman some of tlie claims of Tlie technicians may appear higlily technical, but most intriguing is a suggestioxi that in the Eoss Sea dependency New Zealand may have an unprecedenled opportunity oi' establishing the clieapest atom sinashing observatory in the world. Cosmic Eay Deve'lopments Scientists in Wellington are con vinced that witliin the next 12 montlis there will be dovelopments concemingcosmic rays which, in tho words of Dr. E. Marsden, Director of the Department of Scicntific and Industrial Eesearch, "may have some surprising reactions". Put in simplq tcrms, the scientists .apparentl.v elatm that through cosmic rays. N(aturc is providiug in the Eoss Sea Us own cyclotron for bombarding the atpm on a scale whieh should enablc scienists to conduct observations which may be of world- wide importanco. Sueli is the signiiicance attaclied to the need for sending a'n expedition of iSJew Zealand scientists to the Eoss Sea that it is untlerstood that Dr. Marsden has sent a report to the Minister in eliarge of ScientiJie .;-a;?id Industrial Eesearch, Mf. " Suliivan, urging immediate action. - Wide Variety or Minerals Apart from the ama/Lng possibilities oi' the cosmic .ray develop incnts, Ant,arctica . is believed to coiitaiu k widti variety of minerals which kre of the utmost injportance to lnodcrn civilisation. Data ou the mine'ral resources of the area have been collected in a reccnt report compiled ' by the New Zealand Geological Survcy, which has also been sent to the Minister for consideration. Mr. E. O. Macpherson, of the Geological Survcy, said that there was little doubt that Antarctica was a shield, probably the lafgest on tlie globe, which was likely to contaiu miiicral wealth. He added that the present intcnce prospecting activity around tlie Canadian aud Braziliau shields were worth noting, as well as investigations by the Eussians into the Siberian shield. Mr. Macpherson quoted authorities who considcred that gold, coal, manganesc, tin, sulphides, irou ore, tungstcn, wolfram and other rarc minerals, possiblv including urauium, are present in Antarctica.