Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-30
THE cRowNING DISGRACE


ney published in yesterdays pres
"A dispatches seems to put tn,
erowning touch upon the disgraeefu
record of Commander Peary.
1t appears that when Peary passet
Annotok on his journey to the pole he
left his boatswain, Murphy, in charge
of certain stores which he deposited
at that place. Cook had. when he
started to the pole, also left a deposit
of stores at this place, and these stores
Peary's representative took possession
of and used. On this point, Mr.. Whit
ney says:
Murphy is not able to read or write
He had written instructions from
Peary, which Whitney, at Peary's re-
quest, read over to him from time to
time. These instructions were very
stringent. THEY DIRECTED MUIR
PLY TO USE COOKS STORES FIRST
AND PEARY'S AFTERWARD."
So it is shown that Peary directed the
representative that he left at Annotolz
to use the stores that DR.. Cook had
left there for the purpose of use by him
self and his party upon his return from
the pole.
| Now see how Commander Peary
treats DR.. Cook after having taken
possession of the latter's stores and
used them. Mr.. Whitney continuing
says:
when Peary, on board the Roosevelt.
reached Etah after his winters work
in the north, he (Whitney) informed
Peary of Cooks arrival in April, adding
that Cook had told him to tell Peary
that Cook had gone beyond Peary's
farthest north. PEARY MADE NO
COMMENT AND ASKED NO CUES
TIONS, BUT THE NEXT DAY
COOKS ESKIAIOS CAME TO WHIT
NEY AND ASKED HIM WHAT
PEARY'S MEN WE'RE TRYING TO
GET THEM TO SAY. Peary's men
had shown the Eskimos papers and
maps, but the Eskimos declared that
they did not understand these papers,"
1t would appear from this statement
that Commander Peary, or members
of his party, were endeavoring to en-
trap Cooks Eskimos into statements
which could be used against the latter
in his claim OF having reached the
north pole.
Surely the civilized world was never
treated to a more disgracefuI exhibi-
ton of the extent to which spirit of
ungenerous rivalry and envy can con-
troll mans actions.
In conclusion, Mt Whitney shows
how Peary, who has not hesitated to
use Cooks provisions upon which the
lives Of the latter and his companions
might have depended, treated the valu-
able instruments and data that Cook
had left with Whitney to be transport
ed to civilization. Concerning this
matter, Mr.. Whitney says:
THE day the Roosevelt was leaving
Etah for home Whitney informed
Peary that Cook had intrusted to him
certain belongings to bring home on
the vessel that was coming up for
Whitney, but, as this ship had not
arrived. Whitney was at a loss as to
what to do with the property. Peary
declined to permit DR.. Cooks belong
ing to be brought aboard the Roosevelt,
and he put Whitney on his honor not
to include anything belonging to Cook
in his own luggage"
1t is safe to say that no officer of
the United States navy and no Ameri-
can has ever so completely disgraced
his service and his countrymen as has
Commander Peary.
We shall be disappointed if the au-
thorities of the navy do not find some
way of ridding that service of a man
who has shown himself to be lacking
in all the qualities of character that
should mark an officer and a gentle-
man.
No honor that can come to COM
mander Pearys country from his dis
covery of the north pole can ever COM
pensate for the disgrace inflicted upon
the manhood of America by his actions
1t would seem, too, that this is not
the first instance in which he has dis
played such unmanly selfishness It is
said that ten years ago, under very
similar circumstances, Commander
Peary refused to bring back to civiIi-
cation the letters and records of the
Danish explorer, Sverdrup. This ac-
tion on his part has made him exceed
ingly unpopular with the Danes.
He should never be put in the posi-
ton of again disgracing the manhood
of America and the service of which
he is, unfortunately, an officer.
REGISTER