WELL EQUIPPED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 December 1939, Page 6

WELL EQUIPPED

BYRD ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION DETAILS OF PLANS. TOTAL PERSONNEL NUMBERS 139. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day. Officially known as the United States Antarctic Service Expedition, and financed by the American Government, the present expedition in charge of Admiral Byrd is the greatest and most completely equipped Antarctic expedition that has ever put to sea. Backed by the experience of Admiral Byrd and several members of his scientific staff who were with him on former voyages and liberally financed, the expedition is marvellously well found in every respect. Admiral Byrd plans to land 30 men at West Base and 27 men at East Base. After landing all the equipment and stores for the West Base at Little America. Admiral Byrd will proceed in the North Star to Valparaiso Chile, where she will load a second large Curtiss Condor aeroplane and other gear and stores. She will then return to the Antarctic and in company with the Bear will proceed to establish East Base, which it is hoped to set up about 1200 miles to the eastward of Little America. It is intended to explore and survey as completely as possible the new lands discovered by aeroplane flights on previous expeditions, and to carry out a wide range of meteorological, geological and other scientific work. The expedition will winter at its bases during 1940 and return in the ships at the end of the summer of 1941. Admiral Byrd said the expedition would carry on the exploration and scientific work from where they left off five years ago. Their sphere of operations lay to the eastward of the British field and there were many vast blank spaces to be filled in on the map of Antarctica. It had been hoped that a British expedition would have gone south again, but the war had intervened. Nevertheless, science knew no boundaries and there was no reason why any controversy should arise over geographical and scientific work in the Antarctic. As Americans they felt “close and friendly” to the British Commonwealth of Nations and that the best of sporting relations should exist in this matter of the Antarctic. He and his countrymen held Scott and Shackleton and Mawson and other British explorers in high regard for the great things they had achieved. Admiral Byrd said he was glad to come back to New Zealand, where everyone had been so kind and friendly to him and his men on previous occasions. His present company was delighted to be here. The total personnel of the expedition numbers 139, of whom 75 (including the crew) are in the North Star and the others in the Bear. Dr Paul A. Siple, of Erie, Pa., who was with Admiral Byrd on both of his previous expeditions, will land in charge of West Base on the 150th meridian, at, or somewhat to the eastward of, Little America. Mr Richard E. .Black, who was in the expedition of five years ago, will command East Base, which it is proposed to establish in Alexander Land on the 80th meridian, about 1000 miles to the southeast of Cape Horn. Other members of the expedition who have previously been south are Dr T. C. Poulter, Dr F. A. Wade, chief scientist. Clay Bailey, in charge of radio, Finn Ronne (whose father was with Amundsen and Byrd in the Antarctic), Frederick Dustin, and Vernon Boyd, all of whom are in the North Star. In the Bear there are Bendick Johansen, ice pilot, Jack Bursey, Louis Colombo, and Joseph Healey. SHIP OPEN TO PUBLIC. OFFICIALS RECEIVED BY ADMIRAL. WELLINGTON. This Day. The North Star was generously thrown open to the public today. They pushed and scrambled aboard in amazing numbers, and it was difficult to move about. Every part not roped off was full of children, young and old, plying officers with innumerable silly questions, peering inside cabins and patting the huskies, which were greatly admired. The boys generally were more taken with the big Curtiss-Con-dor biplane on the after deck and the snow cruiser with, its enormous tyres. Admiral Byrd received a number of officials on board. Later he visited the Acting-Prime Minister (Mr P. Fraser) to whom he extended an inyitation to visit the ship. He lunched with the High Commissioner for the United Kingdom. Sir Harry Batterbee. Though the time of sailing has not been fixed the ship is expected to leave tomorrow morning.