1957-01-26 — Page 7

ANTARCTICA,

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 1957.

7 Page 7

THIS is the Gin

almost as large as Australia and Europe put together, was first sighted in 1820 by Bransfield, a master mariner in the British Navy, Since then it has offered a ceaseless challenge to explorers of many nations, culminating in the heroic journeys of Amundsen and Scott to the South Pole in 1911 and 1912, and' the no less heroic failure of Shackleton in 1909. Little of this vast land is charted with accuracy except for the Graham Land peninsula, where the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey has been at work, since 1944. It is fitting then that "the last continent" should provide the setting for, what was recently described by Sir John Hunt, leader of the successful Everest expedition, as the one really great adventure left to man- the 2,000 miles (3,200 kilo- metres) crossing from the Weddell Sea to the Ross Sca via the South Pole. This is what the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition, with Sir Edmund led by Dr V. E. Fuchs, in association

of Everest, are doing

Hillary,

first

conqueror

THE LAST

D

today.

Trans-

With the aid of a large-scale map, Dr V. E, Fuchs, feader of the Commonwealth Antarctic Expedition, explains the Expedition's plans for crossing the southern continent. Picture taken at the expedition's London headquarters before leaving England.

GREAT ELECTRONIC BRAINS

LAND JOURNEY

R Vivian Fuchs, leader

of the Expedition, and originator

of the

to schente, is no stranger the Antarctic, for he has already spent two years on active exploration with the Falkland Islands Depen dencies Survey, for which he

the WILN awarded Founder's Gold Medal of Britain's Royal Geogra

phical Society.

By Christine Ross

bers of the Expedition will be scientific ob- making constant servations, These will include

und mapping

survey work. climatology. meteorslogy.

Boundings. selamic glaciology,

on the actual erossing, which. will be taken every 20 or 30 miles (32 to 48 kilometres) record the depth of the lee.

Geological investigations

to

will

be made whenever exposed ruck presents an opportunity.

are

Tracked Vehicles-And

We London

At the Expedition's headquarters before setting out, the he told

that durin crossing of Use Antarche, mem-

134

A big hand for

our

Aircraft

Tite Expedition,"*

Dr yale Con- Fuchs,

"ha, every noziern au- slant physiological tests will be vantage.

have tracked with aircraft for sup made to discover the effect on vehicles the human body of intense cold. port and

reconnaissance--and how it affects the appetite for dog ledger for special work different kinds of food, and

and in case we can't take the what respects the effect varies

vehicles down the glacier OB according to whether a man is the descent to the Ross Sea, on foot, in the air or riding on a tractor.

in

"I would not feel justified," Dr Fuchs added, “in spending so much money and so many years out of men's lives for the cross- ing of the continent as an end in itself. We are going to do a serious, planned job of work; and crossing the continett happens to be an essential part

of

memory of the great

explorer

"The actual crossing."

Dr Fuchs explained, "will take four months, counting the delays for scientific observations and other work, and will be made between November, 1957, and March, 1958."

get down to work

by Yawliar Hsitirb

system

the

account

London. in Newcastle. The RITISH Railways are would take into

annuel Increments of each member of the staff.

Bvestigating the use of

the wagons

of its 112,000

who planned to cross the con- tinent as long ago as 1914. A winter party of eight was left New Zealanders and South

behind to build the base camp Dem Aldean; the second party

will and to

recon- nember 22, of whom two

and to carry out such naissance as is possible in the from the United Kingdom and

interge cold and round-the-clock | electronic

to computers Ave belong to New Zealand's darkness if the Antarelle win-

trace

of The Post Office also ha plata movement Jeitesnational Geophysical Year

In this cuse ter, and generally prepare the party.

from the to use computers. way for the arrival of the main goods party in January, 1957.

moment they are despatched they would calculate the income

tax and payroll until they arrive at their staff in the London area. destination.

At a liter date electronic com- Sir

be used Charles Goodeve, puters will probably Scientific Adviser

በኛ to the for preparing telephone

counts, because it is estimated British Transport Commis- that there will not be enougha sion, believes that this one clerks to do the job if the technical development is the telephone service expands koy to bringing railway planned within the next 10 or 15 transport back into com- years. Hary's party has mean-petition with the ronds, while the

Lask impartial of setting up depois to replenish the supplies of the main party along the stormy plateau, 10,000 feet (3,048 metres) above sea level. They must alsh establih a depot about 150 miled, (240 kilometres) inland and another pear Mount Albert, Markham about 500 mile (800, Kilers from the Pole, where they -expect to meet the crossing party at the erd of January,

"That will depend on the advice Billary's party are uble to give us when we meet them near the Pole. For the New Zealand parly

will have come ever a route from the Ross Sea before explored. We might even have to abandon the tracted vehicles and aki the rest of the way, taking the stores on the dog slodzes." "."

never

on

The general plun la for the two parties to set up bases either side of the continent and the fur cach to work towards

1958.

Dr

or

Pole. The base on the Weddell

slon.

The Expedition is divided into two parties-one under Fucha, known as the main crossing party; the other, led by Sir Edmund Hillary, and called the New Zealand or support Sea has already been established first there are earlier last year, and named by party.

Fuchs "Shackleton" in 16, including an Australian, two Dr

in

the

Momentous Occasion

It will be a mementous occa- Both partics will then travel back together along the by the New route ploneered Zealand party.

Half-American Mac

New York HOPE Mr Harold Mac- millan will come here smiling and confident and with no cap in his hand. Even before the oflicial arrangements for the forth- coming

DON IDDON'S DIARY

again he solidly sealed everyone will be happy.

Conscience

of

and rity to

C

between meeting President Eisenhower and THERE is something the new Prime Minister guilty conscience in the fuss have been announced, Mr that Americans are making over Macmillan has been given such a good Press here that it would almost embarrass him.

Hundreds of thousands of words have been printed about

The American public is being told: "Mr Macmillan, who F half-American, is an aggressive, highly skilled politician, an ex- perienced and successful busi mas man a scholar, a fiery patriot, a bonny fighter, tough."

The citizens ате being warned: "Do not be bemused by the Edwardian dandyism and the drawling voice."

'One of us' BUT the real rejoicing in the

the

editorial rooms is over fact that Mr Macmillan had an American mother, a simple Inse from Indiana, asd that Mac- mülüs' grandfather, was

a Sicota erotier or peasant farmer.

Tho glant Hearst newspaper chain ran a headline: "He's hatt-American,” and the radio and television commentators soyi "Mac is one of our kind.”.

**But

of

perhaps the most malve all CommenÁS la from America's largest - circulating nowspaper, the New York Dally. Nowa "It seems a good, guem that Queen Elizabeth oppointed Harold Macmillan Prime Minis ten largely because of Mr Macmillan's many and varied United States connpollones.”

Now all the French need

do- in to find a Frenchman whò

I half-American and make him. Prime Minister, and the Angin American-Frosch -alliance will.

Mr Macmillan.

Guez still plagues them, and most everybody here inter- prets the Elsenhower Doctrine

from England which assert that The British now accept that Britain is a second-rate Power

Not meny prople here think that, and certainly no English- man whom I know.

United do what the States stopped Britain HIV France from doing in Egypt,

If may be personal, I have What Mr Truman has been not the slightest inclination to a second-rate and consider myself saying in public speeches

about the citizen of a second-rate Power newspaper articles United States letting Britain The British, Suez or no Suez.

are still considered here down he has been saying

rather a superior lot. more sulphurously to friends.

He calls it: The State De-

Americans red also. They partment sell-out."

have read recently that Britain a years ahead in the develop- ment of atomic power for in-

far

Many Americans, Including Mr Truman, are puzzled about

s asking Congress for autho- the torrent of words coming dustrial use.

HALF

SLIKH

0

43

They read about British achievements in aviation, in sclence, in medielne, In speed records (the American Corre spondenta in Landon Are sur passingly friendly), and, even if they

don't rejoice, there is no counterpart here among the public and in the Press of the allegedly anti-American feeling among the British.

So, for heaven's sake and our own sake, let's stop this wall- ing and whining about us go. ing to hell in a hack,

We sound like a group of second-clas passengers In second-hand car going downhill with the brakes on. If we say we are second-rate long enough the reluctant AmericanM will begin to believe us.

The newly constituted Cabinet bas, not interested Americans very much. They have never heard of most of the Ministers,

Mr and only Mr Butler and Selwyn Lloyd Gre farm fllar names.

I presume Mr Lloyd will ge- company Mr Macmillan, when while he vialla America, and, Me Dulles may be frigidy, no one else will be

Sinco Sir Anthony Edon dem parted there has been nothing bub glowing tribute and waIED for the ex-Prime sympathy

Walter.

Minister Typical is Lippman's Costument. friends are a multitude on both sides of the ocean,”!

I do not think and never have. thought that Angio-American ratatom are tin auch a pitiable state of disrepair.

the

LA

of

the

Dr B. V. Bowden, Principal Many other large

Manchester College organise- of tions have plans to use compu- Technology, suggested; t

Exchequer ters in their business. Dr R. H. Chancellor of Tizard, of the National Physical had an electronic brian to give Laboratory in Britain, described a rapid indication a hypothetical scheme to handle trends in the country he night of the have averted the present crisis the complete payroll

Great Britain by earlier UK's Ministry of Pensions and in National Isrance central office action.

of economic

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