THE POLAR BASIN~
Dr. George W. Rogers,
Far back in Man's
was a goal
hemisphere
through
the Alaska
continent
or sailed
continents,
establishing
the Polar
for
eastern
extremities
Circle,
and migrated
continents
Long before
ever
guesses
the reasons,
and form of its
a reasonably
small
sure means for
and activities
serving
these
primitive
extended
differ
periods
and climate
these
regions.
northern
purposes
the reasons
Basin,
What-
routes
being
on land
or in
of continent
for modern man's
but the physical
materially
the
and the location
man, moving by foot
his
of
changes
we can make only
in these
more certainly
ends do not
of Greenland.
over vast
into
to accomplish
Great
or between
of the earth
resulted
in the Polar
the north-
Basin
pressures
primitive
sea,
We can discover
interest
from those
means to
available
to
man.
The Polar
hemisphere,
areas
on the
and parts
Beyond this
main land masses
open craft
hopping.
it,
shape
of the
at least
the Polar
man entered
the spherical
the New World
the wide part
Iceland
to population
as to why early
populations.
by way of the northern
movements around
permitted.
walked
and North American
i!iurope had explored
which touched
man also
indigenous
due west across
to and colonized
which such a time-scale
Early
Columbus discovered
of the new continent
time and were in response
wildest
fringes.
seed of today's
man in northern
by routes
of the North American
the top of the Eurasian
almost
These prehistoric
many movements going
the interior
coastal
the
the hard way by sailing
early
immigrants,
down into
along
of Economics
the New \vorld of the western
Asiatic
western
Basin.
Atlantic,
Visiting
Professor
of Alaska
remotepast,
its
and paddled
around
Carnegie
University
gateway
or along
GEOPOLITICS AND DEFENSE
Basin has exerted
and the nature
geopolitical
of the several
sense
which turns
the compass needle
it
of the irresistable
northward.
least
densely
inhabited
There
is very
little
the majority
There
significance.
only in the
transporting
a continuing
The arctic
regions
responses
has
pull
in that
attraction
congregated
suggest
of the magnetic
without
and sub-arctic
and with
to recommend them as a desirable
of mankind
to it
been a northward
direction
of the earth
in the northern
in the temperate
the
pull,
north
but
pole
physically
remain
among the
good reason.
place
to live
zones.
Any
for
-2-
northward
direction
economic,
political,
of modern man's
and social
attentions
must be sought
conditions
of particular
in the
times
and
places.
One such period
was the era of the Renaissance
that age of discovery
became a transformer,
which had held
sessed
concept
economic
desire
the other
side
East
exist
around
of the world
to expand
directed
out the Northwest
into
for
American
Passage
the Northeast
This
initial
feasible
attempt
route
flourishing
later
between
and laid
England
Russia.
Passage
and places
Similarly,
culminated
granting
of extraordinarly
The centuries
and heroic
passages,
broad
and tragic
but the
and thriving
the Far East
commerce,
about
content
to follow
events
original
who had intially
east-west
routes
for
with
the half-loaf
in 1553 by Sir
the
Durfourth.
Empire.
discovery
of regions,
for
Hudson's
privileges
and powers.
continuing
dream of feasible
northern
the worlds
of the Great
of their
Circle
search
routes
of western
mind.
the search,
the conduct
and
Bay" and the
related
to the
trade
the Northwest
with a long list
sparked
for
of the "Governor
into
from the popular
Two years
more importantly,
of search
a
the long and
were scattered
commerce between
soon dropped
the search
did discover
for
the chartering
sweeping
Cabot,
Muscovite
"for
of .8ngland Trading
it.
which has continued
but it
foundations
period
must
top of the
and Cornelius
unknown" but,
in 1670 with
the
was launched
and Great
the first
Company of Adventurers
across
aim,
the Muscovy Company was chartered
islands,
across
of Sebastian
its
on
from Henry VII to search
Chancellor,
did not achieve
Cathay"
such a route
a quest
same goal
Richard
to lirchnangel
trade
dominions,
with
Captain
to the
Pos-
way to the Far
or directly
in motion
At the suggestion
Passage
Hugh Willoughby,
Basin
a commission
setting
"fabled
Certainly
and
the strong
the shortest
to Cathay and India
continent,
our own period.
for
to the north.
of the Polar
the shores
limits.
and adding
commerce with
the search
John Cabot in 1496 received
North
well-defined
as a globe
and improve
of the world,
was logically
Europe,
and adventure when medieval man was transformed
seeking to break out of an encloaed universe
him in body and mind within
of the
in western
trade,
routes
for
for
both
a
Europe
The practical
turned
of names
and
men of
to the more roundhaving
to be
of the north
-3Pacific
and Atlantic.
hard
facts
of land-form,
transport
technology
Although
around
day,
The logic
sea ice
feats
of sailing
the brim of the Polar
trade
via
is
When Roald Amudsen became the first
by sailing
and drifting
Alaska,
his
1906).
The subsequent
Passage
within
Coast
Guard,
Sea route
fleets
funds
channel
for
radio
and the purposes
served
feasible.
the Northwest
Island
Passage
to Nome,
13, 1903 to July 11,
(August
of the Northwest
by the ROMPand U.S. Navy and
surface
of the Great
movement required
ice-breakers,
communication
have required
in our own
not commercially
by the u.s.s.R.
(and uneconomic)
therefore,
years
of a season
and elaborate
still
accomplishment
and the establishment
of powerful
ments,
and repeated
the space
to west and west to east
pack from Baffin
three
of a
and sail.
to "conquer"
the ice
took almost
as a seasonal
open water,
cial
voyage
with
ships
were to be accomplished
routes
by the
and the limitation~
from east
Basin
these
dream was thwarted
and climate
based upon·wooden
these
surface
of the total
relatively
air
large
have had to take
the use of
support
systems.
Northern
to scout
These accomplish-
investments
of public
on more than mere commer-
aims.
As the formation
these
early
explorations
in falling
short
explorations
of their
source
stages
by improved
lands
of the arctic
the rich
'
i;
vmte
and
in the northern
economi0s
zinc,
nickel,
are being
recently
platinum,
Sub-arctic
tin,
aided
served
Canada,
served
was
final
the
were built
v10:r.Lu.
upo.n
to this
s
gold was an
as one of the main props
and Alaska.
Eurasia,
future
of Hudson's
in its
and continuing
ttie
even
moved across
fortunes
oi
side
generations
of the land,
in sub-arctic
in the immediate
tungsten,
mined.
resources
of Siberia,
been mined on a large-scale
Canada and possibly
and private
however,
the resource
and trappers
c1, mc1,Jo.r· sou.rce
until
for
exploitation,
Hunters
Of the nonrenewable
attraction
commercial
until
From the beginning
tcce
testifies,
Hard on the heels
and by-products
and sub-arctic
nortt1er11
practical
and the northernseas
technology.
of fur.
companies
goals.
and unregulated
harvests
production.
early
initial
of whale oil
by ruthless
trading
did have their
came the whalers
as a major
exhausted
of the great
long has
more recently
in Alaska.
and other
Iron
metals
Copper,
in
lead,
have been or
Canada has some of the world's
largest
known
-4deposits
the
of fissionable
source
of some modest
petroleum
and natural
zones
the
put
forest
for
withered
often
the
the
river
But populations
development
a small
forests
the
top of the
systems
been
in abundance
bordering
new settlements
away and died
ruthlessly
than
coal
and
tundra
list
in world
present
potentials
modern man to the North,
attracted
were established,
resource
is
has recently
power.
grew in size.
ments
The boreal
Union and Canada at
resources
enterprises
Alaska
There
and the many great
hydreelectric
Natural
and southeast
production.
gas.
Soviet
resources,
ones
ores
exploitative
part
of the
as being
sporadic,
process
Polar
born
narrowly
broad
and old
and settle-
and growing.
specilized
which was never
Basin's
being
as in,
moved out as well
as well
was a very
came into
profitable
Natural
absentee,
to comprise
importance
to the
more
rest
of
world.
Although
continued
purely
probings
decline,
commercial,
for
the process
and thorough
way.
expeditions
western
were
the products
mermaids
maps.
for
sea masses,
limited
of their
to a desire
intensified
national
race
claim
to lay
and "prove
strategic
for
for
to new empire
up" on exisiting
naturalists,
other
scientific
naval
units.
for
There
investigators,
of the
urge
its
and the
renderings
spaces
of
of their
to know however,
was not
These
and trade,
establish
strong
on the
and
of land
own sake
provided
and
were times
of
and the
the boundaries
military
scene of polar
oceanographers,
generally
surface,
of reason
blank
revealed
configuration
new territories
appeared
botanists,
in the
of
motivation
had only
and quaint
or to clearly
claims
ages
was to
these
development
of the earth's
to fill
knowledge
and supporting
in the
interesting
This
Basin
the
in a more systematic
of discovery
only
for
aims or implied
as the
nature.
rivalries
motivation.
the pioneer
monsters
was much to know, not
but
expressed
labeled
more than
and sea and land
stages
fragments
arbitrarily
often
in leading
outburst
of scattered
wished
There
did go on,
support
the Polar
or across
of other
The initial
epochs
enlightenment
around
as were the
outlines
men of the
and private
The men who engaged
efforts.
the faint
passages
of exploration
civilization,
of their
public,
and economic
exploration
cartographers,
as members of or supported
and
by
-5The Great
Northern
Expedition
by Peter
the
elements
to be found
a series
of l and and sea journeys,
Admiralty
empire
College,
the
the
to this
Although
it
determine
extent
Islands
a sound groundwork
ishpere
side
the
coast
of the
arctic
corner
for
this
11
future
concluded
America
and Asia.
Thus,
"sides"
to the Basin.
por a ry effort
comparable
the
journeys
continued
Samuel Hearne
(1770-72)
it
Arctic
to th a t of the
that
side
Great
there
Northern
(1789)
Navy during
in earnest
the Northwest
Pass a ge and seige
John Franklin's
search
for
search
Sir
was undertaken
frequently
other
more fruitful
around
This
exploration
State,
(It
hold
the
.
North
were
of smaller
impor t ance
h a d been
prompted
defense
was no contem Expedition,
filled
in blank
the British
the quest
North
but
such as
Pole,
for
until
Sir
(1819 - 48) became the
th a t large-scale
between
n in part
to engineer
was a neg a tive
sale . )
expl ~
also
in
were two
exploration
the relatively
Danish,
steady,
Norwegian,
and
expeditions.
defense
This
Seward
its
Passage
efforts
the Pol a r Basin
time.
th e Northwest
(1848 - 78),
and American
e strategic
long
to the
John Franklin
North
was not until
was laid
• ..Geographicially
European
lands
for
resumed
hem-
south -
there
of individuals
MacKenzie
to
did
Barrow)
determined
It
century
effort
sep a rates
sp a ces on the map and a dded to knowledge.
the nin e teenth
main aims,
Strait
and inve s tigations
and Ale x ander
continent.
James Cook ch a rted
of Point
American
and
on the eastern
Captain
th a t Bering
On the North
American
one of its
south
Siberian
Sea co a stline
ex traordinary
In 1778,
the
di s covered
explor a tions
wa s finally
under
mainland
the
Through
of Russia's
of its
Alaska
of Al a ska from Icy Cape (just
ward and positively
nature
pl a nned
all
exploration.
a ccomplish
Pol a r Ba sin.
combined
of the North
America,
(1725 - 42),
coordinated
outline
to conclusively
provide
life,
broadly
and the
where Asi a joins
Russia
of his
and general
northwest
failed
11
years
the general
Aleutian
laid
last
in . p a st and medern
was determined,
traced,
claim
Gre a t i n the
to Arctic
of the
a rctic
recognized
renewed
President
Americ a n posse s sions
His bro a d pl a ns for
a tion
~
a ls for
interest
in the
Lincolon's
Secretary
from Russia
~ recognition
which
caused
n a tion a l security,
c
by individu
naval
the purch a se of Alaska
eonsider
and sub-arcti
of
in 1867 .
of inability
Russia
a
to initiate
which were to be
to
-6frustrated
by lack
the purchase
of Iceland
twin keystones
Polar
his
oceanic
dominance
ed.
concept
rather
over
defense
than
aspects
in Seward's
plan
purely
and strategy
polar,
aiming
day limited
route
quests
knowledge
present
the
major
for
causes
shorter
trade
of the earth
day lives.
of past
The earth
is,
shifted
climate
Over the intervening
has.
changes
today
the exception
they
are
is
and its
present
as spherical
the land
sizes,
centuries,
his
nations
the
are
however,
civilization
the physical
the air,
following
The first
and the airplane
States
a common-place,
by Soviet
the regular
military
very
Circle
of population
alone
would require,
importance
of the Polar
past
age of technology
all
the unful-
of our nation
of the earth's
fliers
and with
major
have made feasible
non-stop
use and
of the earthts
patterns
early
World War I) was pressed
successful
have been
to the Arctic
progress
barriers
was in
and his
of the recent
that
as it
there
of all
Man's present
phase
of our
hemisphere,
capitals
economic
part
although
nine-tenths
closer
Basin~
forms have not
or shapes,
of the geopolitical
speeded-up
to the United
now almost
to the
resources,
are still
once more become the dreams and plans
moving through
exploration.
natural
-
afterall,
has been the results
Man now hurdles
(immediately
security
Probably
tremendous
a re-evaluation
they
of
of such a view
in the Polar
to be found in the northern
and his
But it
Europe
surface.
to the Equator.
Basin.
that
in man himself,
developed
concentration
therefore,
be approach-
to the technology
exploitable
locations,
of China and India,
and industrially
than
their
of the earth's
population
could
country
of commerce in relation
to our knowledge,
significantly
occupancy
this
importance
interest
routes,
and national
day of Cabot and,
tremendous
to give
essen-
to Cathay.
The several
the
the
were still
in relation
the strategic
the
up against
by which the continent
of the Basin
included
Although
were backed
in the same manner as had the technology
shortest
and acceptance,
from Denmark.
of geography
the two oceans
The physical
warfare
understanding
and Greenland
of Seward's
Basin,
tially
of popular
into
flights
surface
in its
by
career
service
in arctic
from eastern
in 1937 foretold
trans-polar
today.
commercial
what is
flights
-1of giant
jet
America.
passenger
As regards
craft
between
passenger
freight,
the shortest
economic
as well
as a physical
of nuclear
powered
voyages
route
underwater
movement of freight
of technological
causing
the richer
worked out,
more accessible
the rate
of increase
speeded
resources
of the world
concerning
age has both
the Basin
all
there
the operation
exploit
is
and required
to learn
ment.
it
in this
offers
Modern civilization
for
is highly
atmosphere
and weather
the world
as a strategically
is
take
another
be greatly
if
routes,
look.
knowledge
expanded.
the maintenance
travel
become
correspondingly
of scientific
environment,
We must
of life
we are
and natural
ill,. and
to efficiently
resource
develop-
complex and on a world-wide
the need to know more and more about
currents,
it
concerning
of equipment
the advantages
that
themselves
and new trade
value
added to our store
to be
of more and
the resources
economic
the nature
adds further
important
of the earth,
importance
area
the
in the light
the development
but if
real
feasible
has been a factor
new modes of transportation
in their
ice may be the
of time alone
for
an
long-range
on new significance
The passage
is
the Basin.
up and our men of commerce had better
The air
learn
through
the north
making economically
take
resources,
of high value
the polar
in bulk across
the pressure
and North
The successful
under
or more accessible
northern
transport
and west via
possibility.
potentials
increasing
more of these
east
technology
advance.
and the Orient
and the
submarines
of the transport
resource
travel
between
forerunner
Natural
Europe
for
further
scale,
its
ocean
to the top of
scientific
investigation.
But f~r
overshadowing
been the importance
Polar
its
Basin
the land-based
chief
commercial
of strategic
s:i.
present
to explain
fica.nce,
ICBM's or submarine
powers
the main reason
and sub-arctic.
communication,
interception,
settlements
around
for
motivations
considerations
'Jith
the
launched
Polaris
around
the
the Basin,
frantic
activities
The placement
and offensive
the Basin,
array
the
bomber
as the
of the princi-
is not difficult
going
on through-
and manning of detection,
facilities
brought
jet
missiles
it
have
in giving
long-range
and the geographic
of the world
out the arctic
military
military
weapons of modern warfare
pal military
or scientific
have created
in thousands
new
of people
-aand required
the
stepping
up of all
manner
of scientific
investigation
and research.
It
Vilhjalmur
Arctic,
time
world.
should
no longer
Stefanson
those
when the
Their
be necessary
and other
who for
decades
Polar
Basin
future
is
to belabor
pioneer
prophets
ha,ve been urgingus
the message
of the air
our present.
February
College,
10, 1961
Alaska
age in the
to prepare
would become the Mediterranean
of
for
the
of the future