THE RELIEF SHIP

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2896, 7 October 1916, Page 8

THE RELIEF SHIP

Thk position reached regarding 'he dispatch of the Antarctic exploring- ship Aurora, to rescue the stranded members of the Shackleton' iixpedition left at M'Murdo Sound seems both curious and unsatisfactory. Captain. Stenhouse, was in charge of the Aurora when she retiirned from her voyage to Antarctic seas, and he has been in charge ever since while repairing work and the' re-equipment of the vtescl for the relief expedition were being earned out. Mb. Shackleton, after gallantly rescuing the section of his ■expedition at Elep'iant Island, was coming on to. .New Zealand, to lead RC. party to procdcd early next year .v?viWP-. {assistance of the other sec-tion-.of: the expedition which met misfortune. It. .'would be thought; that before any decision was arrived •at as to the course to be followed ir. regard to the. relief expedition, -find more especially as to who should command it, the. opportunity would, be taken .'to. consult' Mb. macki.eton and Captain Stenhousis. Both gentlemen are intimately concerned over the fate of the unfortunate explorers now straaclcd in the Polar regions—they were their friends, and companions in tho venture, and naturally Mu. ohacki,eton as the leader, and Captain Stenhcuse as the.present commander of the Aurora,, would feel a sense of responsibility for their rescue from the perilous position in which '11-fortuno has placed them, let so far as has been disclosed, neither Mr. &uackleton nor Captain otenhouse was 'consulted as to their views, .and Captain Davis has Dcen appointed over their heads to command the relief ship. The- fact that Captain Davis is admittedly aQ ,? J?, , , experienced commander. well fitted for the position, does not relieve'. .those . responsible ..for .his appp.mtment.-frpm the appearanec pt., haying acted in a very strange way.. The neglect to consult with Mn.'. bHAOKtETON, or to get his opinion, might reasonably be regarded as a direct affront, particular y in view of the fact that he had announced his'intention to personally .conduct the' rcscii'c expedition. v So far as the New' Zealand government is concerned, we are confident that nothing of this naturewas intended What has' probably happened is that it has acquiesced in an arrangement with the Commonwealth.. and the Home authorities (w.h.o -are also contributing to the cost of the relief expedition) without giving the proposal any more than cursory examination. the light or what has been since disclosed, the •minister in charge of the matter will proba,bly think it deserves reconsideration. New Zealand of course, has not the deciding 'voire on the question oi who shall com-mand-the relief expedition, but its representations .could not be ignored,