Office of the Historian

800.014 Antarctic/12–2746

The Counselor of the British Embassy (Hadow) to the Chief of the Division of Northern European Affairs (Cumming)

urgent
Washington, 27 December, 1946.

Dear Cumming: Confirmation has lately been received in London that the Byrd expedition buildings mentioned in our letter of the 17th December to Wailes20 were still standing; but the report says nothing of their state of repair. The American geological specimens, medical equipment, books, etc. have been packed for despatch by “Trepassey” on her next visit unless otherwise instructed.21 Two thousand nine hundred gallons of aviation petrol left by United States expedition has been found beside dumps near a house on a glacier, which have not been checked.

2.
We are further instructed to request you kindly to inform Commander Ronne that:—
(a)
for practical reasons of which he is believed to be aware he could not support his proposed party at Marguerite Bay without serious detriment to the operation of our party.
(b)
nevertheless His Majesty’s Government would welcome a visit by him to Marguerite Bay it he considers it essential to see the position for himself.
(c)
if he is prepared to leave a very small party of say four or five men to spend the Antarctic winter and work jointly with the British party of ten, H.M.G. would be glad to consider whether this can be arranged on hearing what sort of specialists he would like to leave and what work he has in mind for them.
3.
Beyond this, as Commander Ronne will himself best realise, it is difficult to go without serious physical risk to both parties involved.
4.
As the Ronne expedition is understood shortly to be leaving for the Antarctic we should be grateful for urgent transmission of this message and of Commander Ronne’s decision; in order that we may communicate the latter to London.
5.
With the inaccuracies of the “New York Times” article of 23rd December, it seems unnecessary to concern ourselves, as the more serious misstatements are understood to lack official confirmation or backing.

Yours sincerely,

R. H. Hadow
  1. The letter under reference to Edward T. Wailes, Chief of the Division of British Commonwealth Affairs, is not printed.↩

  2. In a letter of January 3, 1947, to Hadow, not printed, Cumming wrote in part as follows:

    “Commander Ronne has asked that I repeat to you his request, made orally to members of the Embassy on December 27, that the American geological specimens, medical equipment, books, etc. which your letter mentioned as having been packed for despatch by Trepassey be left at the site for the use of his expedition.” (800.014 Antarctic/12–2746)

    ↩