New-York tribune., 1909-09-03
1T Is DIR. COOKS LAND.
United States Docs Not liant and
Could Not Claim Land at Pole.
rFron m. Trlhuns BursaI1


lFrom The Tribune Bureau
Washington Sept 2-Win the United States
gov.rnment lay claim the North Pole This
question asked all sides AT the State De-
partment to-day. and n Tent unanswered until
Second Assistant Secretary Adee expressed the
OPINION that as Dr. Cook Is a private citizen and
as there nothing official about his trip. THO
government could not make a valid claim u the
pole. even 10 Il wanted to. which he regards ~
extremely doubtful.
Wade Ellis Assistant Attorney General, de-
clsred that. there were preceients. he would
not express opinion 20 the legal merits ot
the case. lie wanted to know Just what good 80
would DO the United States u she did obtain
troll II j. recalled by the department officials
that ever since iScs American explorers IN both
the Arctic and Antarctic have discovered vast
areas % land 20 which claims were ever made
The islands % spitzbergen which were discoy-
cred many years ago. are still without recoE-
ntzed owner. On the maps these Islands are desig-
mated ss belonging 20 Russia. but her claim. ~
ever asserted. has never been recognized. These
Islands are not only accessible but have devsl-
o7ed some thriving Industries. and only within the
last few years has any effort been made to exsr-
else over them any jurisdiction authority.
Recently. however. q conference has been suE-
sestei of representatives or countries having In
teTests IN them 20 provide some sort % a1 admin
is;raton for their government. The United States.
PROBABLY. will be represented. by OF the
fact that the only important coal mines In the
territory are operated by Americans.
~ % the particular territory which Or. Cook
s said 90 have discovered. the statement Was rado
to-day that it quite probable that these lands
would De- found 20 De an extension 81 the main
land % Greenland. and. - So. they belong 20
Denmark At any rate It Is extremely improbable.
Il is said, that the United states would attempt
70 assert sovereignty over them.
PhiadsiohIs. Sept Ate reading IN, dis
patches today am more convinced than ever
that the reported discovery ot the North Poi. is a
iske.' vas ths emphatic declaration Of Rear Ad-
miral George W. Melville L. : y. (ret redJ II do
bot mean to say that Dr. Cook is n laker do
not know him personally. HUT from nv ~xperf-
eHoes EJs.d say that there r. nothing TO confirm
hc orisins! dispatches. some ~ the best equlpred
expeditions have cost from F5aeo 20 toc.on
know that Dr. cook had no such outfit
There = nothing in the stories thus FAR told
% Indicate that Or Cook has found anything new
Indeed cannot 49, why the reported story OF MS
expedition eouIi not haye been written by any one
who had reached within hundred miles OF tha
pole. ] could III In ms Office snd invent obs.rva
tons Of all sorts Yet NJ ore can positively deny
the truthfllnc<s 81 DR. Cooks story have heard
that the ROYAL Geographical Society Is reported %
have dscredited u. 10 this il So Will reit.rate
more strongly than ever that while Or. Cook may
have discovered the North Pole q being a possbil-
lily. Yet 10 is highly improbable
According 20 Or. Cooks story. TO mention Is
made of the travel from. April "a 70 Aprf 81 iss
ed. ~ degrees q minutes north latitude; roughly
Speaking, distance % about a hundred miles
remained before him after April Il An averas. OF
about fourteen miles day thereafter must hav.
been maintained
1T was my experience in the Jeanette expeei-
ton retrea, dsTs-'SD that after marching thirty
miles on. day fodnd We had actually gon. tv,
and one-halt milss The drift of ths tee was IN an
opposite direction. We were travelling under al
most superhuIrar EFFORT then. That the ice daft
was noTthward In Or Cooks expedition f. not az
al impossible. but 70 Is very Improbable
The talk of having killed musk oxen r. not new
Tfese animals killed years ago The apparent
ease of Dr cooks travel near the pole - what ir-
c!ines strongly e. dlscredit the story. WIth =
rack Of good DOGS and seds In siberia over smooth
snow. the best distance ever made nifty miles
q day. I-o travel Is much more difiicult"
Admiral Melville has been three Arctic ~
- dtonsthe Hall relief expedition 1873. the Jean
ettd expedition. 1s7ssi and the Creeiy relief ex-
psdition. $50.
Poughkespsie. " y. Sept. DILLON Wallace the
Arctic explorer and author. who IS visiting with
friends near here. said this afternoon:
When left my last expedition. on May D. |
lSS, DT. Cook led delegation of the Arctic club |
which went 10 the ship 10 OF. lie presented
with fag of the club. which carried with me- |
throughout tho expedition. intending. ~ found |
the pole. 20 plant it beside the and Stripes
q. sstsa