Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-08
GIVES PEARY CREDIT
FOR COOKS SUCCESS

NEW YORK, Sept. Herbert L.
Bridgman, secretary of the Peary Arc
tic club, and a recognized authority on
arctic exploration, contributes an ar
tiCle to the Independent, which will
appear tomorrow, on the Dash to the
Pole
1t was written before Commander
Peary's announcement had been made
and deals chiefly with DR.. Frederick a.
Cooks claim to having reached the
pole on April q, 1908. 1t says, in part:
The announcement that the north
pole, that lure OF the century, has ac-
tually been reached comes so suddenly
and from a quarter SO unexpected that
intelligent judgment on the fact is diff
ficult. Naturally, writing for the pub
lie and forwarding this account by ca
BILE, only the personal and popular
phases would be presented, and any
statement of scientific results or data
would be deferred.
"But DR.. Cook would probably not
demand that scientific rank and weight
should be given to his expedition. 1t
was simply duel with nature. man
stripped for the fight, incumbered only
with the barest necessities, determined
to make a life and death struggle for
one thing only-the goal But the
world will ask that science, though not
directly interested and served, shall
verify the claim and shall attest the
result
And therefore DR.. Cook will doubt
less be only too willing to offer the
data upon which the confirmation of
his narrative will rest. Records, di-
aries, note books, locations, courses
and all indicia so we'll known to eX-
plorers will be produced and placed
with the archives either in original or
in duplicate. of the principal geo.
graphic societies of the world.
Had he by any possibility opened
any of Peary's cairns at Cape Thomas
Hubbard or Cape Columbia or any of
Sverdrup's in his farthest land and
archipelago, the evidence would be
conclusive and all doubts forever si-
fenced. Reading between the lines and
dismissing at once for what they may
be worth all the views, opinions and
comments with which the papers are
just now so heavily burdened, the tale
stands or falls by itself without wit
ness or testimony"
After discussing past polar research
and the outlook for further exploration
the article continues:
Maybe this is not the time nor place
to intrude ethics of etiquette. Yet those
who have followed Arctic matters DO
BILE and they reserve until the facts
are known their judgment. Eskimos
had been trained by him, land ex-
plored and seas charted and only an
un1ucky delay of contractors, for which
he was in no way responsible, kept him
at home in the summer of 1907.
Everybody knew the facts; that his
work was unfinished, postponed, and
the fitting out of the Bradley by
stealth (the Bradley was DIR. Cook 8
phip) equipped for field work and stores
and supplies for land and sea ice
marches, while of course within the
prescriptive rights of her owner, in
vited remark among men who respect
honor and observe fair play.
"Pearys plans were all as open as
the day and all Of his countrymen
knew that fifteen years of dauntless
and undaunted work in which he had
accomplished many times more than all
who had preceded him were to be
crowned by one final attempt to reach
the coveted goal of centuries. That his
men, methods and reasonings should
all be appropriated and the long strug-
gle finished before he had had his fair
and final opportunity is a transaction
upon which the American people will
render just judgment when they know
all the facts and the meantime pa
tience and more light"