CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 215, 1 April 1913, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

CAPTAIN' SCOTT'S l-'ATK. According to Mr. Carlyle Smythe, who contributes an interesting article u])on the subject to the current issue of Life, there was at least one man to whom the news of the tragic fate of Captain Scott ' and his companions did not come as a surprise, but as a fulfilment of a fear which was almost a conviction of disaster. That man was Captain Roald' Amundsen. Amundsen believed from the outset that there were defects in Scott's equipment and organisation which would greatly prejudice the success of the expedition. lie considered that Scott had made a mistake in preferring ponies to dogs for his transport, and he regarded the motor sledges as useless and costly toys. lie anticipated that. Scott would have to depend eventually upon human haulage for his dash to the Pole, which would mean abridging supplies to the narrowest margin of safety and allowing no assurance against unforeseen contingencies. Without adequate supplies of dogs, Scott would lack supplies of fresh meat, and scurvy would be inevitable. Furthermore, though lie did not say so, Amundsen showed in discussing the matter that he considered Scott and his officers would be handicapped by their lack of extensive experience of polar conditions. Polar exploration bad been Amundsen's life-career, while for Shackleton and Scott it was a brilliant and alluring adventure outside their actual profession. Amundsen gave tlie.se explicit and implied reasons for his belief that disaster would befall the Scott expedition in March, 1912, before the Terra Nova returned to Lyttelton bringing Scott's narrative of what had occurred up to the time of the vessel's departure from the south. ; FULFILMENT OF A FEAR. The first instalment of Captain-Scott's story confirmed Amundsen's belief in ■ the soundness of bis criticism of Scott's , equipment. When the Norwegian read the second instalment he was enthusi--1 astic in his praise of what Scott had ae- '■ conrplished in the face of great diflicull ties, and announced his belief that Scott .. must have reached the Pole about the middle of January. Amundsen was at ' that time in Sydney, and he held a long 1 conference with Professor David, at I which, Mr. Smythe suggests, the actual > fate of Scott was discussed. Speaking l the same day to Smythe. Amundsen said: "It is almost certain that the party will bo attacked bv scurvy. Al--1 ready we know that they had a narrow i escape, for the disease was amongst them." This referred to the selection of Lieutenant Bowers in place of Com--1 rnander Evans when Seott made his final f selection. for the polar party. Amundsen r considering that Evans was rejected because he was in the incipient stage of scurvy. Referring to the adventures of Lashley, Crean and Evans, when Evans ' w/is later attacked bv the disease and t with difficulty dragged to Discovery Hut, , Amundsen said: "If that were the plight , of,the homeward-bound partv, what can we think of the chances of the southern party, "under Scott?" While in Phrist- . church later. Amundsen had a chat with Commander Evans, and asked him if there were anv reason that could be assigned for (hi-' attack of scurvy, (hat } would he nnlikelv to affect the members ■ of the southern partv. Commander r Evans gave a decided negative, and Amundsen's apprehensions were strengthened. "It was quite phfin," says M-r. " Smythe. "that Mr. Kinsev and the learl- " ers of the returned partv were troubled < bv grave misgivings about the fate of . Scott, although they observed thq strict--1 est seerecv lest their fears should be given publicity."