Show CONQUERING ING THE POLES S 4 S trE r t a 4 S s to R Man Pushes Closer to Heart of Weathers Kitchen Kitchen See Seeking Icing Short Route Over Top of the World Russians Pioneer Arctic By Dy JOSEPH W. W LaBINE In 1909 courageous Robert E. E Peary trudged to the North Pole The world praised his conquest of the Arctic but with the same breath questioned What good is it That cynical attitude persisted until last May when a group of intrepid Russian scientists and aviators began the most thorough examination of Arctic wastes yet attempted by man braving untold hardships to gather data about the weathers weather's kitchen Suddenly the whole world has become aware of the potential potential po po- po value that lies within the Arctic and Antarctic circles As Russia goes to work the United States looks with renewed renewed re re- re interest to Alaska her own far north province In Canada British Columbia seeks to extend her domain to the North Pole In Great Britain scientists are mullIng mullIng mull mull- Ing over data gathered by bythe bythe bythe the British Graham land expedition expedition ex ex- to the Antarctic Many reasons justify this sudden interest The fabled northwest passage which i Henry Hudson sought may yet be found In the Arctic sea ea Aviation Avi atlon progress has made practical such long sustained flights fights as the two Moscow California hops last summer Moreover who knows what valuable mineral deposits lie beneath the crust of ice and snow that covers coven Arctic lands Antarctic Land Discovered In the Antarctic the recent British Brit ish expedition discovered that Graham land is not an archipelago of ot Islands as previously reported by Sir Hubert Wilkins but one great eat tract of land land land-a a peninsula of the Antarctic continent Thus an immense immense im mense tract has been added to the earths earth's known surface Out nut it is the North pole which commands most Interest because of its proximity to North America Europe Europe Eu roPe rope and Asia a Asia a potential shortcut short cut across the top of the world The Soviets Soviet's best scientists are arenow arenow arenow now living in some 60 weather stations sta lions along the Arctic coast helping push back the frontier and open the sea to ships shIps shIps-at at least in summer ummer Their observations are now supplemented supplemented sup sup- by those of the Ice foe expedition four tour scientists who landed landed land land- ed near the pole last May and have since drifted slowly southward to tobe tobe tobe be picked up recently oil on the coast of Greenland Submarines Enter Picture Moscow has announced that eventually eventually even even- it will establish a series erles of weather observatories and landing fields elds along the proposed polar airway air way between Russia and the United States From these vantage points the Soviet will study geography of I the Arctic with airplanes while submarines submarines submarines sub sub- I marines dive under the ice crust to b explore the frigid sea below Dr Ruth Huth Gruber an American newspaper correspondent recently visited the Siberian north which formerly existed only as a home of living death for Czarist political l prisoners Even today the Stalinist government is probably using part of Siberia as a prison for victims victim of ofUs its Us atrocious purges but Dr Gruber found other portions of this vast expanse buzzing with Industry America has been slow to appreciate elate date the possibilities of Alaska Her first concrete step tep was the removal removal removal re re- moval of farmers from tram marginal marginal mar mar- ginal American lands to more fertile ABOVE Captain ABOVE Captain Amundsen laking taking tak lak ing Ine observations with a sextant as his Norwegian flag Oar flies files at the point determined upon as the exact South Pole Pole Fole This remarkable photo was taken December 14 U. U 1911 the date Amundsen reached the pole BELOW Every BELOW DELOW Every Iceberg that menaces menaces men men- aces acel shipping In the northern seas leas was once part of the mighty Polar Ice cap which has drifted southward with so 10 many exploration parties Including Including In In- In- In the recent Russian expedition expedition tion under Commander S S t I I Iut r ut I i rE It-rE a t I Alaskan soil several years ago But she has done little more 1 Today when airways span every continent there is still no regularly scheduled line between the United States and Alaska although the Alaskans themselves are more air air- minded than their brothers In the states state Last year more than residents of the territory made trips by ah- ah almost air almost one fourth of ot the entire entire en tire p population I Alaskans realize their territory can be conquered for year-around year exploitation only by air Private Radio Stations In the entire territory there are 21 private radio stations of which Pacific Pacific Pa Pa- Alaska Airways a Pan Pan-Amer scan lean subsidiary maintains 13 13 used solely for weather reporting to supplement supplement sup sup- the present totally Insufficient federal service The United States bureau of air commerce will soon oon establish modern modem radio stations stations sta sta- at Juneau and Fairbanks which is the first step tep in helping conquer conquer con con- quer Americas America's portion of the frozen north Meanwhile to the Immediate east British Columbia is suffering Buffering from growing pains and Premier T T. T D. D wants to push Its borders bor bar ders to the North Pole Contingent upon agreement with the dominion government the annexation would include all of Yukon territory and part of Mackenzie including half the radium producing Great Bear lake Such a territory would give British av b rl i 1 Jd I r tf it z i l E 5 1 I 1 L 6 l' l y T e t 4 1 ia ij t L Columbia rich potential mineral sources plus wealth in water power pow er or fishing agriculture apiculture fur farming and lumbering In a few months the entire world ma may know what Commander Papa Papa- nin and his hi companions discovered on their recent expedition although the Soviet may elect to keep its I information in formation secret ecret Gulf Gull Stream at Work It is II already known that they found a layer of warm water near I the North pole caused by meanderIngs meander meander- Ings lags of the tepid Gulf stream And despite the cener general l belief that the Arctic Is devoid of life life the they had frequent animal visitors Many obstacles must be overcome before commercial air routes can be mapped over the Arctic although aviators used to northern Bl fit Blits its ts claim the atmosphere Is II much clearer c and more mora favorable for flyIng flying fly fly- Ing than In temperate zones zone The biggest aviation obstacle Is Impracticability of compass compa devices based on the sun lun since the Arctic has Arctic has no sun un part of the tha year But nut the day may come when Londoners Londoners Lon Lon- doners b bound und for San Francisco orthe or orthe orthe the Orient can fly with perfect s and nd comfort via the short cut route over the top of the world ft A W w. w rn M. M U Union |