Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-11
NOT FINANCIALLY lNTERESTED.
National Geographic Society and DR..
Nnnsen's Lecture.

National Geographic Society and Dr.
Nnnscn's Lecture.
There has been considerable comment
among members of the National Geo
or; phic Society recently over the reported
relations of the society to the coming lee
ture of DIR. Nansen, the explorer. AT last
evenings meeting of the society Gen
Greedy, the Tice president, took occasion to
announce that the society was in no way
connected with the management of the
lecture, as had been publicly reported. The
committee Oh communications of the So
cety has issued to the members the fol-
lowing statement, announcing the attltuGe
of the organization:
The committee on communications finds
1t necessary to call attention to certain
misleading notices relating to the forth
coming lecture by Dr. Nansen. 1t has been
announced in the public press that this
lecture will be delivered under the auspices
of the National Geographic Society; and a
more specific announcement, to the same
effect has been sent to members of the So
Getty in a printed circular under date OF
December I. signed Everett Hayden, sec
rotary, and purporting tc represent the
National Geographic Society.
Members of the society are hereby mott
fled that while the board of managers had
under advisement some weeks ago a plan
for securing the delivery of the lecture un-
der the auspices of the society, the plan
was definitively and unanimously abaE-
doned; and that the National Geographic
Society has no interest. financial or other
WISE in the Forthcoming lecture by DR..
hansen, save the general interest in his
reputation and continued success as Il
scientific geographer. A. W. Greely, Henry
Gannett, w. J. MCGEE.
a
society, has written to The Star as follows
regarding his participation in the affair:
I'm His Introductory remarks at the meet
ing of the National Geographic Society last
evening and again in circular signed by
A. w Gree Henry Ganpett and w. }.
MCGEE, received in the mail today, General
Greedy SO omphatically stated that the So
ciety was in no way, shape or manner
re sponsble for the lecture here next Thurs
dc evening by DIR. Nansen, either as re-
CARDS announcements TO that effect in one
Of the daily papers or in circulars sent TO
members of the society, that feel called
upon TO state in an equally pubic way
why said announcements and circulars ap-
peared. Briefly, the announcements in d
daily paper mentioned the Geographic So
ciety solely through a mistake by news
paper advertising agent, and l have his
written statement to that effect that 1t WAS
through 10 fault of mine.
The circulars that l sent to members of
the society were expressly authorized by
vice president ard acting president l re-
ferred the matter before printing and issu-
ing them to members. My letter to him
was as follows: In view Of the disability
of the president of the society, through
illness, to consider matters relating to the
society at present, l beg to call your at
tention TO some matters demanding imme-
diate attention by the senior vice president.
/ would ask permission to send out an i'm
mediate notice to members of changes of
program, as follows: December 10, Pro-
fessor GroSvenor, on Greece and Turkey"
lin place of Miss Peck on "Mexico'D; De-
CemDer H. DR.. Elliott on East Africa in
place of DIR. Sternberg on yellow Fever
Changed to January 40, and announcement
of meetings January Z, u and Is. Said
circular to include also a coupon allowing
members reduction of % cents in prices
of tickets to the Nansen lecture, December
10. which I am authorized to make
This letter was Endorsed o. X, a. w.
Gre ely. vice president by him at his office
in War Department, December 6, and /
called his attention to it again in my office
the same afternoon before the copy for
the program had been sent to the printer.
IF the criticism be made that General
Greedy did not then know that 1 had per-
sonally under taken the local management
OF the lecture, my reply is that it seemed
to me fairer to put the proposition before
him on it's own merits. rather than to try
to influence him in the matter by such
knowledge. The concession to members Of
our society was put in the contract by the
managers as a favor requested by me for
the members of the society, as a slight rec
ognltion OF the handsome reception that
we gave DR.. Nansen on the occasion of his
first visit to this city, and I am neither
as hamed Of my part in the matter nor
afraid Of even greater publicity than that
given by General Greedy in his announce
ment at the lecture last night and in the
circular received today. Dr. Nansen is
too big man to require any cheap adver.
Using at the hands of our society, and the
nh S11tnt Il.
society to regard the matter in that light"