THE ARCTIC IN THE FUTURE

Hokitika Guardian, 12 July 1929, Page 8

THE ARCTIC IN THE FUTURE

STJCFANSSON’S PROPHECIES

Air Villijalimir Stefhnsson, the ex plorer, who 'lectured recently on th( future df the Arctic regions, statec that during all historical time civilisation had been moving northward, and every period of 1000 years had seen the centres of power further north. “It seems to be a principle that when civilisation is advanced in quality its centres are moving away from the equator, and when civilisation is retrogressing in quality its centres are retreating towards the equator,” he said. “The present centres of civilisation •ppear to be where the average temperature is between 48 and 52 degrees. Fahrenheit. That includes London. Paris, Berlin, New York, Chicago, and Toronto.

“Irrespective of its natural resources,” he. continued, “the Arctic is bound to lie developed-during the nexi quarter of a century as a thoroughfare ''or air traffic, Ifor the short flyinc routes between East and West lit across the Arctic. It is full of islands and the flying conditions on the average throughout the year are better than in the temperate >3one. “ That view is not yet fully realised by the promoters of flying because of the tremendous prejudice there hasbeen against , the Arctic. These good londitions have been completely ver 'led by our flying experience. Commander Byrd, who was unable to find Paris after flying across the Atlantic ' ad no difficulty in finding the North Pole and returning to his starting point. Sir Hubert "Wilkins, when lie flew the full diameter of the Arctic from Alaska, to Spitsbergen, had m trouble in finding his way. When Captain Amundsen flew there in a dirt gihle he had trouble in Europe befor he entered the Arctic and in Alaska after he ldft it, but none in the Arctic itself.

“Even Nobile, ' although he wrecke r 1 his airship, was picked up after 48 dayf whereas liis men would have beei drowned in less than 48 minutes Inn' the accident occurred over the At]an tic.

■ “More than 50,000 miles have beei flown inside the Arctic Circle withoul a single loss of life,”he declared. The Arctic was not, nearly so pool in natural resources as people had assummed. It would he believed, become increasingly a meat-producing country. Already reindeer meat was regularly served in most o the New York leading hotels and res taurants, and lie calculated within the next ‘ half-century reindeer would pro vide the largest single source of tinworld’s meat supply. “It will not, however, be adequate to supply the meat demand on the present scale, which means that the Work' is.faced with compulsory vegetarianism. If you eat eggs and bacon you are wasting six-sevenths of the corn eaten by the chickens and pigs which supply it “Seven vegetarians can be supportfor one meat eater. That is why tropical and temporate lands are bound eventually to devote to vegetables ah the land except that which is too dry to grow them. But in the Arctic you can produce no cereals, and that if why the Arctic will be the last retreat of the meat eaters.”