The Colorado statesman., 1909-12-25
UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN
PRACTICALLY BRANDS HIM
AS AN IMPoSToR.
HAS NO DEFENDERS
kNUD RASMUSSEN CALLS COOKS
PAPERS CHILDISH ATTEMPT
AT CHEATING.

Copenhagen.-The report of the
special committee of scientists, which
the University of Copenhagen ap-
pointed to scrutinize DIR. Frederick A.
Cooks claims that he had discovered
the North pole, was submitted to the
consistory of the university Tuesday
morning, endorsed by that body and
given to the public.
The report skaters completely, al
most contemptuously, the American
explorers title to such discovery and
fills the officials and people of Den
mark with chagrin at the figure Den
mark is made to assume in the eyes
of the scientific world.
The public was prepared for YER
dict of not proven" but diu not ex-
pect its recent hero to be branded as
an impostor. Many still cling to the
belief that Cook acted in good faith,
but harbored a delusion.
Explorers and scientists almost
unanimously have lost faith in Cooks
honesty, while one of his warmest
supporters, Knud Rasmussen, helped
to frame the report. The evening pa
pers attack Cook and severely re-
proach him for hiding, which they re-
gard as a sign of guilty conscience.
The rector of the university, DR..
Salomonson, when questioned as to
the possibility of the university can
ceiling the degree which it conferred
on DR.. Cook, said that no decision had
been reached, but he thought that the
sAl,.l
same way, as a government could de-
prive a person of an order obtained
under false pretenses.
Commodore Gustav Holm, the Arc
tic explorer, and a member of the
committee, said:
Cooks claim that he made the OBJ
servation SO degrees SO minutes 46
seconds near the pole proved immedi-
ately that he was a bad observer, but
nothing indicated that he was swim
dler. Now his papers convict him of
being a swindler. We examined Cooks
observations first, and agreed unani-
mously that they were worthless
Loose's observations were not used in
the papers Cook submitted to the
university"
Professor Olufsen, secretary of the
Danish Geographical Society, said:
1T is the saddest event of my life
AS an explorer there seems to be no
doubt that Cook is absolutely unre-
liable"
The National Tidende, while deplor-
ing that the university conferred the
degree in a moment of enthusiasm,
finds consolation in the fact that 9TH
ers honored Cook when he returned to
civilization.
"The President of his own country
and it's envoy at Copenhagen" says
the paper, were the guarantors for
him. Denmark did not blunder alone.
Our country must now leave this sad
affair to America and Cook"
In an interview Tuesday night Knud
Rasmussen said:
"The university would not call me at
first because | was one of DR.. Cooks
strongest supporters. Later, however,
1 was invited to the investigation and
when saw the observations | realized
it was a scandal.
"LIy confidence in Cook had been
based on personal impressions, on re-
ports that had received, and also on
the testimony of the Eskimos, when
they all said that he had made the trip
from Cape Sparbo to Etah, and such
a trip during the dark of winter would
suffice to make man famous. But
the papers which Cook sent to Copen-
hagen University are almost impudent.
No school boy could make such calcu-
lations. 1t is a most childish attempt
at cheating. Cook has killed himself
by his own foolish act"
Commodore Hovgaard. the explorer,
said:
although it has not been proved
that Cook did not reach the pole, can
only regard Cook now as an impostor."