ANTARCTIC RIVALRY

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 920, 13 March 1930, Page 8

ANTARCTIC RIVALRY

CLAIMS OF BRITAIN AND AMERICA “UNIMPORTANT,” SAYS BYRD Press Association DUNEDIN, Wednesday. The members of the Chamber of Commerce today entertained RearAdmiral Byrd at luncheon. In replying to the president's welcome RearAdmiral Byrd-said: "I wish to say I heartily agree with w-hat the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr. de la Perrelle, said yesterday about trade relations between New Zealand and the United States. There is every reason why there should be the utmost co-opera-tion and friendship betwen us, and no reason xvhy there should not be. “I have noted that there has been a tendency in some quarters of America and Europe to create controversy between the British Empire and the United States concerning our claims in Antarctica. There is no reason or ground for that. We have considered this expedition as a scientific venture, and we hope a sporting one, and we went down there with the utmost respect for the British explorers who preceded us. “Our purpose there should bring us closer together, and not farther apart, and it ■would be a pity should any controversy arise, which would go entirely against tljje feelings and the hopes we have held from the first We have from the beginning recognised the Ross Dependency. “We asked for permission to establish Little America, which was graciously granted. We asked for pet mission to bring back for scientific purposes a few penguins, and this was granted. W»; observed the regulations regarding the killing of the seal. We only killed enough seal for food purposes. “Antarctica is big enough for all of us. Our claim lies entirely outside of the Ross Dependency, over to the eastward, and there is nothing in the situation that could cause controversy. We are far more interested in goodfellowship and sportsmanship with you, in our common investigations down there, than we are with any claims in Antarctica. It is another one of those cases -where the intangible Brings of the spirit are far more important than the material aspects."