Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-28

people to tell our
American friends that on this side the
ocean we have been greeted with friendly
interest. which Is the more welcome because
1t was wholly unexpected. More than that.
the English have quickly perceived and
recognized the merits of the scheme which
We are pursuing and have said so in right
manly fashion. This Is the more surpris-
ing because of the well-known unwilling
ness of John Bull TO do anything in way
different from that In which his grand
father did il. Just as the English yachts
nan is said by the jokers to trim the sails
of his yacht in a certain manner because
that was the way Noah did it, SO the
English in planning any polar exploration
for themselves are sure to follow the very
methods adopted by Franklin and the
pioneers in that field many years ago. But
while the English make no Innovations
themselves they recognize the virtue OF
progress in others. At least they have
given US even more encouragement than
we had at home and have to q certain de-
gree made US feel the force of the old
sdage about the prophet and his own
country.
Before They Arrived.
Before our arrival here the English news
papers had printed short accounts OF what
we proposed to do and how We think we
can do it, or just enough to rouse curiosity
as to the full details of the plan. These
early accounts. brief and unsatisfactory.
struck the English in a peculiar way. Min
gled with that feeling common to all En-
glishmen that when an American talks or
doing something Of this sort ne Is very
likely to know his ground and to do II
was another impression that this mad rush
for the pole this dash Of a single summer,
this attempt to capture In a sorue what all
others had failed to get within sight OF
through many long. weary sieses. was Just
q tribe visionary. Though we were not
here TO see them, our English cousins
doubtless shrugged their shoulders and
smiled as they read and talked of the latest
American ambition In the polar world But
they were too fair and perhaps too cautious
TO indulge In much definite CRITICISM with
out further informa tion-
The good old Times, that historical news
paper of an empire, did give pereepuoie
shrug to its stately shoulders and say in
quotation marks that I'VE are assured MT.
Walter welln1an is 'one of the best known
newspaper men In Washington, and
''It IL evident from the many columns In
the American newspapers in which he tells
the story not of what he has done, but OF
the great things he Is going to do, that he
Is a skillful journalist OF the American
type"
over here and according to the English
standard. it is not necessary to call a man
murdered his mother-in-law. 1t is only
necessary to say he is something or other
'of the American type" That does quite as
well. Aside from this, the Times contented
itself with a fair resume Of the plans of the
expedition. closing its article with the fol-
lowing words:
Thus the pole might be reached in fifty
days. and some time next September or DC
tober the world may be excited by tele-
gram from Tromso that a smart American
journalist has. in something like four
months. accomplished task which has
bafIied humanity for many centuries"
When We came the English wanted to
know all about ii. They sent their inter-
viewers to see us-the best Of the lot were
Americans-and the papers published all
We could find TO tell them. and that was a
great deal 1t was curious TO note the sud-
6enness with which public opinion changed
when the whole story OF our plans was
I,ade known. The press, ever cautious and
conservative. discussed the details intelli-
gently and pointed out the advantages of
Cur method of approach to the pole. 1T
certainly seems promisir G." said one paper.
perhaps. after ell, this plan OF dashing in,
doing all one can In the favorable season
and getting as quickly out is the best that
can be devised" remarked the other 1t
looks feasible but we should have more con-
fience in 1t If there had not already been
many failures in the arctics." cautiously
commented third
Comments of Scientists.
when we first read of your scheme"
graphical Society. we thought you had
gone crazy. but now that We see the whole
method. we are half inclined to pin our
faith to you. II We had not seen SO many
arctic expeditions spring up in promise and
70 down in failure. even our English con-
servatism might be swept away by your
brilliant proposition" So with Prof. Hark-
ness. the famous analyst. who analysed all
Of DR.. Nansen's food supplies. and has also
tested many of those which We are taking.
81 confess I have been converted said he.
AT first / thought your dash plan wholly
impractical. but your methods stand close
inspection. Your aluminium boats and
eledges show a distinct advance and great
least going to do so much in the arctics
that there will be little left for our coun-
TRUMAN. Mr.. Jackson. to do
So many words of encouragement like
these have come to our ears through the
press or from the lips Of men whose opin-
Ions are worth something that we have be-
gun to feel that perhaps we are sane. after
all. and that our friends in America who
thought we were not may be mistaken.
The following from the Morning Leader of
London is a sample of the kind express
rions with which the British press has
teemed during our brief sojourn in this
country
1T is in really somewhat strange that
no one has ever yet conquered the regions
OF ice and STOW. The records of the expe-
d.tions of Hudson. Phipps. Scoresby. Ross.
Sir John Franklin. Markham, Greedy and
Mares show that il is not for want of cour-
age and zeal that the polar problem has
never yet been solved But science has
made immense strides in the last few
years. and the arrangements which Mr..
wellman has made seem admirably calcu-
lated to attain the end he has in view.
There Is no Livingston to be discovered
and rescued but II is not too much to say
that If Mr. WellmRn and his companions
succeed in their quest and arrive not actu-
ally at the pole. but even within measur-
able distance of 1t. they will be welcomed
back as few explorers have ever been well
coined Such Is the impression logged per-
severance against terrible odds ever makes
upon the world Ii may be that the tansi-
bic results OF polar expeditions are p-acti-
cally nil. That Will not hinder Mr.. Well
man and his companions from receiving
their need OF praise and adulation. and
science. at any rate. will probably benefit
IN some greater or less degree from their
ENTERPRISE and daring"
Frederick jackson.
The English have a polar aspirant Of
their own now. The international race for
the pole is becoming more and more inter
esting. To the list OF entries. hansen.
Peary and Wellman, Is now to be added
Frederick Jackson, a young Engiishman,
who in July will endeavor to steam to
the southern shore OF F'ranz-Josef Land
there to establish headqua tiers during the
coming autumn. The press here almost
daily remarks that these two expeditions,
Jackson's and ours. are Characteristic of
the people who send them forth. While
Jackson. like the true Englishman he Is.
goes out for q four-years campaign to