The Guardian And Evening Star, with Which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, JULY 28, 1928. THE POLAR TRAGEDY.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 July 1928, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with Which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, JULY 28, 1928. THE POLAR TRAGEDY.

The meeting of the rescued survivors from the Italia with their comrades and their commander on the coast of Spitzbergen supplios one of tho most dramatic incidents in a story already well provided with sensational episodes. The whole civilised world experienced a sense of thankfulness and relief when it became known that the sncniice of valuable lives through the disastrous failure of this expedition was to be less heavy than was at first anticipated, and the people of Italy may well rejoice over the successful issue of the efforts put forth in tho cause of humanity by so many foreign friends and comrades to lend a helping hand to these hapless castaways. But now that tho actual work of rescue has been accomplished, the story of the Italia expedition enters on a new phase. General Nobili and his companions are under orders to proceed at once to Italy to face the inquiry that must inevitably be heldi into their conduct and the management of tho voyage. It is a curious and interesting illustration of the despotic authority which Mussolini wields, says an exchange, that he should exercise this paternal control over Italy’s explorers and navigators, and that his commands should be unquestionably obeyed. But, unfortunately, there is reason to believe that the voyage of the Italia, both in regard to the preliminary preparations and the incidents immediately preceding and succeeding the loss of the airship, demands searching investigation. Before Nobili started on his great adventure warnings were heard from many quarters that the equipment was unsuitable, that the leaders of the expedition were lacking in experience, and that the most careful precautions would he needed to avert a catastrophe. And there is sometinng peculiarly and ironically tragic in tho fact that Amundsen, tho greatest of Polar explorers, and perhaps the most hostile of Nobili’s critics, has himself been sacrificed in the quest for the survivors. It would, of course, 1 be premature, and in any case both injudicious and unfair, to suggest any definite cause or specific personal responsibility for this disastrous failure. But the mention of Amundsen suggests one aspect of such explorations which in our opinion needs to be strongly emphasised. Those who undertake dangerous adventures are too often satisfied to consider the risk of failure as if it involved themselves alone. In such cases as this there is also to be taken into account the dangers that will inevitably l>e faced by rescuers prepared to sacrifice themselves in tho hope of saving over-confident voyagers from the consequences of their own recklessness or inexperience or folly. This implies no charge against Nobili and his colleagues. But the loss of Amundsen must be set down against whatever problematical advantages might have accrued from the voyage if it had been successful, and tragic contingencies of this sort should be taken seriously into account whenever such a hazardous adventure is undertaker.

week to request the Railway Department to revise the Greymouth-Hoki-tika train service with a view to a more accelerated connection on express days, is one that will he supported very generally by the community. Recently the Department has introduced an improvement in the through service, by a much quicker run over the Christohureh-Springfield section, whereby a considerable saving of time has resulted, and if something similar could bo done at this end over the final section of the run, the people would have occasion to be more grafcelul still. The express service is of rather a hybrid nature now. There is the quick run from Christchurch to Springtield. Then follows a moderately good run over tne Springfield-Otira section. This is followed by another quick connection between Otira and Greymouth. Thereafter’ the service degenerates to something painfully slow. This section for through travellers coming at tho end of a long journey, is often very trying to passengers, and many are tho complaints heard. Invariably, to add to the causes for complaint, the service does not run to time, so that a protracted journey in any case becomes more protracted still. The train arrives at a time which is very upsetting to many, and particularly to those engaged about hotels where the most of the travellers have to bo accommodated. Meals are delayed and staffs are inconvenienced, so that the grounds for complaint spread themselves. There is often-a growl about motor services taking trade from tho railways, but the experience on the through service as far as traffic at this end is concerned, could easily be one of tho causes driving traffic from the trains to the motors. A good motor service such as is possible here with the well-found cars and good roads, and at competing tariffs, might easily rob of tho railways much of tho through traffic, and that is a possibility if the Department is not disposed to consider the demands for a speedier through service. There is some difficulty wo understand due to the matter of the number of waysido stations, but this might be met by ;ui adjustment of the mfd-day service at present confined entirely to goods traffic. In other parts we often hear from timo to time of objections to changes, but practicable ways out of difficulties, often largely official, have been found, and probably in this instance tho barriers to the improvement desired, might not prove insuperable, if the matter is regarded from all points of view. With the promise of increased tourist traffic this coming season, it would appear the Railway Department must do something in self-defence to retain its traffic.