I

           Iamforcedintospeechbecausemenofsciencehaverefusedtofollowmyadvicewithoutknowingwhy. ItisaltogetheragainstmywillthatItellmyreasonsforopposingthiscontemplatedinvasionoftheantarctic-withitsvastfossilhuntanditswholesaleboringandmeltingoftheancienticecaps. AndIamthemorereluctantbecausemywarningmaybeinvain. 

           Doubtoftherealfacts,asImustrevealthem,isinevitable; yet,ifIsuppressedwhatwillseemextravagantandincredible,therewouldbenothingleft. Thehithertowithheldphotographs,bothordinaryandaerial,willcountinmyfavor,fortheyaredamnablyvividandgraphic. Still,theywillbedoubtedbecauseofthegreatlengthstowhichcleverfakerycanbecarried. Theinkdrawings,ofcourse,willbejeeredatasobviousimpostures,notwithstandingastrangenessoftechniquewhichartexpertsoughttoremarkandpuzzleover. 

           IntheendImustrelyonthejudgmentandstandingofthefewscientificleaderswhohave,ontheonehand,sufficientindependenceofthoughttoweighmydataonitsownhideouslyconvincingmeritsorinthelightofcertainprimordialandhighlybafflingmythcycles; andontheotherhand,sufficientinfluencetodetertheexploringworldingeneralfromanyrashandover-ambitiousprogramintheregionofthosemountainsofmadness. Itisanunfortunatefactthatrelativelyobscuremenlikemyselfandmyassociates,connectedonlywithasmalluniversity,havelittlechanceofmakinganimpressionwheremattersofawildlybizarreorhighlycontroversialnatureareconcerned. 

           Itisfurtheragainstusthatwearenot,inthestrictestsense,specialistsinthefieldswhichcameprimarilytobeconcerned.