Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-06-04
LACK OF FUNDS
May Hinder North Pole Expedition
Fears Commander Peary.

Portland. Me. June 3.-Commander
Robert F. Peary arrived in Portland on
the 1850 train from Boston this morn
ing. He told an Advertiser reporter at
the Union station just after his arrival
that he was bound for his summer
home at Eagle Island to enjoy few
days rest He talked for several min
utes about his proposed trip to the
frozen North and during the conversa-
ton intimated that he was somewhat
discouraged over the raising of the nee
essary funds for the trip. He said that
the money was coming very slowly and
he had given up expecting and could
only hope for the best.
He told the reporter that he would
not be able to say anything definite
concerning the trip before the 18th Of
this month.
IF l succeed i'll getting the desired
funds l will follow out my plans which
I outlined to you a few weeks ago" he
said. "As / have already told you L
hope to leave New York in the Roose-
welt the first of July but but unless the
money comes faster than it is at the
present time | shall not have the
chance to realize my hopes
II only wish l had money of my own
to put into the expedition. | should
then feel more independent ana the
outcome would be all To my credit.
late to think that some other country
Will succeed in finishing the work
have begun. 1t makes il appear that
tho people Of this country are not patri-
otto enough to want the honor to come
to the Stars and Stripes" My formcrI
experiences make me confident that |
will be successful this time and it is
unpleasant to think that lack of the
necessary funds is the only thing that
stands between me and the long sought
goal
The school children of the Pacific
coast are working in the interests of your
expedition, are they not?" asked the re-
porter.
4 understand that they are. God bless
them" was the reply. Il don't know
what success they have had as yet but it
encourages me not little to think that
tile Young people at least are loyal to
the United States. | wish the school chill
dren Of the East We're as patriotic 1t
would not take great While to get the
money should they take hold in the way
those OF the West have. You can easily
see how a few pennies from each of the
millions of school children of the East
would count up.
The newspapers are somewhat to
blame for the difficulty that is being oX-
prricnced in raising the fund. From the
very start they have misconstrued my
statements and published conflicting sto-
ries. First q story appeared saying that |
had secured 100000 for the trip ana later.
when l contradcted thar report, they
published the misinfornation that a COM
nittcc had been appointed to raise the
money and that that committee would be
in full charge Of that end Of the pro-
pc sed expedition. These stories and many
others of the same kind are untrue and
have made the work exceedingly hard.
Now please he careful in Your paper
net to give that impression. You can
make il as plain IS you care to that only
Il very small portion Of the NJ cdCd funds
has been raised and that the remainder
rlust be raised before the trip .can be
started. You may put that word mus
in big type il you choose