Lee van Atta a reporter from the El Mercurio in Santiago stated that “Byrd announced to me today that it is necessary for the United States to put into effect defensive measures against enemy airmen which come from the polar regions. The Admiral further explained that he did not have the intention to scare anyone but the hitter reality is that in case of a new war the United States would be in a position to be attached by flyers which could fly with fantastic speed from one pole to the other.”