Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-10
Demands for Lecture Tickets
Exceeds Accommodations.
SEATS WILL BE RESERVED
Those to Be Allotted to Members Of
Geographic Society.
NO SOUTH POLE EXPEDITION
Explorer Declares he Is Ready to
Assist, But Not to Colchester
Replies to Cook.

So great is the demand for seats at
Commander Robert E. Peary's lecture
| Friday evening that the National Geo.
graphic Society will be unable to provide
accommodations even for members resi-
dent in Washington.
The seating capacity of the hall Of the
New Masonic Temple. in which the lee
ture is to be given, is only 1900. There
are 1000 members Of the society who
dwell In the capital Each of these re-
ceives two tickets to each lecture Of the
winters course.
| In order to overcome as far as possible
the difficulty Of accommodating those
who desire to attend the lecture, all the
seats have been reserved, and the re-
serve tickets will be given only to mem
bers holding season tickets. They will
be given out in the order in which writ
| ten applications are received at the Of
fees of the society. The season lecture
ticket will not admit to Commander
| Peary's lecture unless supplemented with
| reserve tickets.
Lecture to Begin at 8 O'Clock.
Prof. Willis Moore, president Of the So
ciety, will introduce Commander Peary.
The lecture will begin promptly at s
o'clock. 1t will be illustrated by stere-
opticon views from photographs taken by
members Of the expedition.
| Many members of the diplomatic corps
and government officials have signified
their intention of attending the lecture
The list. up to the present. includes: Sec
rotary of State and Mrs. Knox. the Sec
rotary of War and Mrs Dickinson. the
British ambassador and Mrs. Bryce, the
French ambassador and Nine. Jusserand,
| the German ambassador and Countess
Won Bernstorf. the Austro- Hungarian
ambassador. the ministers of Bolivia
Denmark, Switzerland. Costa Rica Spain
Argentine Republic. Belgium, Portugal
and the charge d. affaires Of the Japanese
embassy and Nine. Matsui.
No South Sea Expedition.
Speaking of a report that he would
attempt to discover the south pole. Com
mander Peary said:
| i shall not lead such an expedition
within the next five years, nor within the
next twenty years.
! when / came back from my recent
expedition to the north 1 stated en-
phatically that my field work, both in
the arctic and antarctic regions, was at
an end. but that 1 should be very glad
TO assist in any way possible in the
promotion or organization of further
| work In those regions.
I'm May, 1908. sent a brief announce
| ment through the medium of the inter-
national polar commission at Brussels.
| saying that on my return from this expe-
dition l hoped to organize an expedition
that should secure for this country its
yet to be obtained in the antarctic re-
| gions. ] noted in that announcement also
| that President Roosevelt was interested
In the general proposition and approved
I'm view of the fact that Commander
Scott is working on an expedition for the
attainment Of the south pole, any attempt
to utilize his route or the regions In
which he is to work would be entirely
| improper to attempt
II still believe that this country ought
to attempt national expedition into the
| antarctic regions but. under existing con-
ditions. / have not given t further thought
since my return. The Peary Arctic Club
| has not been approached or sounded in
regard to the matter"
Chester Answers Cook.
Rear Admiral Colby NJ. Chester, U. 8.
N, retired. who has declared that Dr.
F. A. Cook was no closer than 542 miles
to the north pole, resents the suggestion
OF DR.: Cook that he wanted to serve
examining the records of the explorer.
\ II want to make 1t clear, says the ad.
/ miral. that / never intended to and
never would serve on any board for the
consideration OF DR.. Cooks arctic records
II SO stated to the board Of managers OF
the National Geographic Society when
was appointed member of the Peary
| board, and 1 have persistently so stated
since.
II would not go to Copenhagen to in.
spect the only records that scientific mer
i could consider. because the original rec.
ords. or part of them at least. have beer
left In the arctic covered with ice and
snow. as DIR. Cook has widely pro.
claimed
/ Admiral Chester commented on this
statement made by DR.. Cook:
10 THE only point raised by Admiral
Chester is the suggestion Of erroneous To-
OF the midnight sun April z is no evi
i dence OF our position. Though the days
had been clear. the northern skies had
not been clear at night for many day.
ness Obscured the horizon, and the sur
sank into this. We did not use the sur
at night for nautical observation, nor die
We stay awake all night to watch effects
! Quotes Cooks Account.
Lest DR.. Cook forget" said Admiral
Chester. Il quote from his own descrip.
ton, as follows:
Il On April the barometer remained
steady and the thermometer sank TIL,
weather became settled and clear. TIL,
pack became a more permanent glitter
OF color and joy. At noon there wa.
now dazzling light, while the sun al
midnight sank for but few moments
leaving the frosted blue bathed in noon
day splendor.
The night Of April was made no
table by the swing Of the sun at mid
night. For a number Of nights 1t mad,
grim faces at us in its setting. teas
ing mist, drawn as a curtain over tn,
northern sea at midnight. had giver
curious advantage for celestial staging
settling into this haze, we were VQ
able to determine sharply the advent o.
the midnight sun, but here was d spec
tacular play which interested us i'm
mensely.
Now the great bulk was drawn
out. egg-shaped. with horizontal lines
drawn through II. Again 1t was press
ed into basin with flaming fires. burn
ing behind a curtain Of frOsts; blue al
other times, it appeared like a huge
| vase. and IL required very little imagi
| nation to see people and violet flowers
i 1.-The change was often like magic
but the last display was invariably a
i face-distorted faces of men or animals
j were made to suit our fancy.
4 1--WE had, therefore, followed the