Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-08
ON The GLACIAL FRINGE
out hesitation, but most Of his statements
had been given out before.
Cooks Lecture to asographers.

Cooks Lecture to osographers.
ito give the general results of the ex.
petition. Time is required to digest the
work of polar effort. You have not al
lowed time in Copenhagen. This north
ward dash has occupied the minds OF
men for more than 300 years. Slowly
and surely the ladder Of ATTITUDES has
been climbed with various degrees OF
success. Experience was gained and
each expedition profited by the misfor-
tunes of its predecessors. The failure OF
one expedition led to the success OF sub
sequent efforts.
THE art OF polar travel has been Great.
ed and this art was the nucleus of ouI
equipment. We changed tactics to suit
our purpose, but l am bound to acknowl
edge at the outset that success would
not have been possible without the les,
pioneers. the pathfinders to the pole
the earlier explorers.
Acknowledges Debt to Pioneers.
I'VE are particularly indebted to Nan
sen and Peary and many Danish ex
plorers for the last stages of polar prog
ress. In my case / am especially In
dehted to Capt. Sverdrup, who is here to-
night. His work gave US a new road
which afforded US a chance to try the ics
a little farther west.
Although profiting by other ventures
our expeditions differed in some impor
tant respects. The route we selected
had planned out years ago as a result
of reading the splendid narrative o.
Sverdrup. About the middle of 1907
when we started, the pole was no par
at study and recreation. with the pol,
possibly as a future problem"
Then the explorer went over the prepa
rations for his departure and the journey
his recital being similar to that alread!
published.
He cleared, up the doubts about the low
est temperature recorded. which he re
iterated was eighty-three degrees below
zero. Fahrenheit. He said he had NJ
doubt that the observations made woult
prove that he had been on and arount
the ninetieth degree.
III have been within a circle. kilo
meter in diameter. where the pole i
situated" exclaimed the explorer, Il an
satisfied that that is quite sufficient TO
practical purposes. I will say no NOR
until my book Is published"
Will Not Answer Back.
When shown the dispatch which sail
that Commander Peary claimed to be tn
first man to reach the north pole, DR.
Cook said:
Commander Peary, OF course. can sa!
whatever he wishes. am not accustom
ed to indulge in controversies. All
have to say about Commander Peary L
that IL he says he reached the nOrtf
pole, I believe he reached the north pole.
With regard to the statement that h
had chosen the western route to avoie
observation by his competitors, DR.. Cool
said he could only repeat the Statement
made In his speeches and lecture. tina
he had selected the western route simpl!
as q result Of q careful study OF Sverd
rup's explorations. which convinced HIN
that was the most feasible road to TIT
pole.
Speeches at the dinner were made b!
the secretary Of the Geographical Society
NJ. Olafsen. Prof. G. H. Scharling ant
Prof. valdemar Schmidt of the Univer
sity of Copenhagen and Commodore How
gard. At the conclusion Of DIR. Cook.
lecture, the rector Of the universit.
strongly reafnrmed his belief that tn
journey had been accomplished as de
scribed.