The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1897-05-16

from other officers and their sponsors
in congress. The Walker pull lost its
potency when the admiral went on the
retired list. He made an effort recently
to obtain the appointment as assistant
secretary of the navy and he failed. The
charm is broken. The Walker pull no
longer works.
Peary's Coming Outing.
But the Peary pull is in good work
ing order, and this summer, unless con-
ditions change, Lieutenant Peary will
go away on leave once more to make
one of his private polar expeditions.
Now, a polar expedition may be an
excellent thing in its way, but what in
terest has the government of the United
States in a polar expedition that it
should pay one of its naval officers for
IL months work every year and give
him six months of that time for pri-
vate enterprise? Lieutenant Peary has
been in the government service for is
years, and one-half of that time has
been spent ''on leave. "
1t is not very serious matter, this
salary of Lieutenant Peary, but the
principle is all wrong. Lieutenant
Peary's recall has stirred up a great
deal of feeling among the less favored
officers of the navy. One of them is at
work on a new gun which will be of
much more value to the navy than
either the north or the south pole could
ever be. Another has design for an
anchor in mind. Still another is invent
INV
not give each of these men six months
out of every year to pursue his private
work? Why wasn't indefinite leave
given to Captain Mahan, so that he
could pursue his literary work I'M
hampered? Captain Mahan resigned his
commission within few months of
the time when he would have gone ON
the retired list because his official duties
interfered with his literary work. 1t
would have been far more appropriate,
it seems to me, to have given an in
definite leave of absence to Captain
Mahan than to release Lieutenant Peary
from active duty. Mahan's books have u
greater value for the navy than all of
Peary's contributions TO our knowledge
of the Eskimo,
Greely's expedition to the north was
made under the auspices of the navy
department. Greely's mission was to
establish station at Lady Franklin
bay in accordance with the plans of the
Hamburg Relief expeditions sent in
1882 and 1883 failed to reach Greedy,
and congress authorized the secretary of
the navy to organize third expedition
regardless of expense. Commander
Schley had charge of the third expedi-
ton. He found Greedy and few of his
men almost dead. Seventeen of the par
ty had died of starvation. Meantime a
reward of $25, had been offered to
any one not in government service who
would find Greedy.
When James Gordon Bennett fitted
out the Jeanette expedition, the gov
eminent gave no aid, but congress had
to appropriate $175, 900 in the follow
ing year to fit out relief expedition.
The government also sent relief expe-
dition to find Sir John Franklin in 1850,
but almost all the expense of the enter
prise was borne by Henry Grinnell, a
New York merchant
Government and Science.
After the Schley expedition congress
appropriated money for presents, which
were taken by an officer of the navy
across Siberia to be delivered to the per-
SONS who had been kind to General
Greedy and his men in their hour of
need, but with that the government
washed its hands of polar expeditions,
and the excursions of Peary have been
made without direct government aid.