The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-10-04

DR.. Frederick Albert Cook has made
himself known 10 Washington. He has
told his story. The result. IL Is fair
to say. is that he has given no direct
or positive. reason to doubt that in
April, 1908, he reached the North Pole,
and over the bleak ice few the flag
Of the United States. II is also fair
to say that beyond a manly courtesy,
a pleasing manner OF narration, and
a circumstantlal narrative which prob
ably no two Of his hearers were quail
fed to analyze. did he give any direct
or positive reason to believe that he
did reach the Pole.
The American Capital gave him a
reception more than cordial 1t was nor
ar unprecedented outburst OF enthusiasm.
and il was not a looking-on in chill curl
osity. 1t was a greeting Of hopeful
partisianship. a greeting from men and
women who resented the top-lofty at
titude OF another explorer quite as much
as they admired and trusted DR.. Cook.
Crush at Union Station.
At the Union Station there was a
crush. At his hotel there was a gath
ering OF several hundred persons and
something OF an inquistion from local
newspaper men. At the National Thea
ter about four-fifths OF the seats were
occupied. which means an audience of
/ .400 persons. At the Press Club re-
eeption. which followed the lecture.
there were possibly 200 persons. includ-
ing half dozen scientists, twice IS
many officials OF Government, and 100
active writer's for the newspa pers.
Everywhere was there handclapping. an
assumption OF the truth Of DR.. Cook s
primal claim. and an expression OF
pleasure in his bearing and personality
In the question OF his personality lies
today's greatest interest in Dr. Cook.
1t is accepted by everybody that the
lsyrian cannot decide II this man did
as ne claimed to do. His photographs
were most persuasive. His story Of
cold below 50 degrees under zero and
OF perils of starvation, averted only by
the spesring Of walrus with hickory
lances. must have thrilled the most
skepticaL Many a hearer Of the lecture
exclaimed as he left the theater Il
never was so cold in my life. and that
blUbber we ate out there on the ice
nearly made me sick
Pictures Not Remarkable.
But the pictures were not more re-
lI2dIkdDle ludn those taken by MT.
ElmendOrf i'm the sea off the North
Cape. or those which could be taken
any winter in the middle Of any Of a
thousand Canadian lakes. and the de-
scriptions not more vivid than some Of
those in Dr. Cooks Through the First
Antarctic Night, written eight years
before this polar expedition.
In other words. as far as the layman
can tell, this lecture left him to meas
ure his faith in this explorer solely on
the basis Of the laymans impression of
the explorers personality.
DR.. Cook is a distinct TeutOn. The
family name has been changed TO
Cook from Koch" and the explor-
ers countenance fits the old name bet
ter than the new. The head is of good
size, reasonably well rounded, and COW
cred with the waving, light brown hair
of the typical German. The eyes are
unpleasantly shielded by the lids. One
sees only a narrow slit Of blue iris and
contracted pupil. in this respect DR..
Cook hears a marked resemblance 20
lower jaw are firm enough for any
quest. But the yellow mustache makes
them seem weak. The ears are large
and the nose thick. Altogether-if Il
were not for smile that spreads over
the whole map--it is not face TO IN
spire liking and confidence. But 81
should be said, and said plainly, that
the Cook smile is so ingratlating that
last night the explorer made friends
whether he spoke or kept still.
The Cook voice is a tenor, a robust
OF a strong man used 20 the out-of-