48 BALCH— WHY AMERICA SHOULD [April 22, 



undertake the task of organizing an American Antarctic expedition 

 by sending to the Commission Polaire Internationale a " communi- 

 cation " which was presented by Mr. Herbert L. Bridgman, presi- 

 dent of the Peary Arctic Club. In this " communication " Mr. 

 Peary says: 



I beg to state that on my return from my coming Arctic Expedition, 

 I shall endeavor in every possible way, consistent with my other duties, to 

 promote and organize a National American Antarctic Expedition, to secure 

 for this country its share of the honors and valuable scientific information 

 still awaiting the explorer in that region. 



The fact that Commander Peary has at length become interested 

 in the Antarctic regions and is indorsing the writer's cherished 

 views in such a practical way, renews hope that before long an 

 American expedition will be on its way to Wilkes Land. 



III. 



There is an almost unlimited field for scientific research and 

 observation in south polar regions, and many branches of natural 

 science will be advanced by properly equipped expeditions. Geog- 

 raphy, oceanography, glacialogy, geology, palaeontology, zoology, 

 bacteriology, meteorology, magnetism, all need many more years of 

 study in the south by trained observers. There are some scien- 

 tific problems of the first magnitude awaiting solution. One of 

 them, for instance, is the Great Ice Barrier, It appears to be afloat 

 as far back as observed and to be moving. Where does it extend 

 to ? What formed it ? What causes its motion ? No one can say ! 

 To solve this wonderful glacial problem would be worth all the 

 money spent to do so. 



In zoology, in ichthyology, in bacteriology, in botany — in fact 

 in regard to life in all its forms — there is any amount of work 

 still to be done in the Antarctic. For an American expedition, 

 however, collecting would be more important than observing on 

 these lines, because, although so many American vessels have 

 visited south polar regions, neither the American Museum of Na- 

 tural History, nor the United States National Museum, nor indeed 

 any of the great museums in America has anything like a repre- 



