The Carlisle independent., 1909-12-16
DANE CLAIMS v HAVE BEEN AP. hAcHED IN EFFORT TO NscREDIT POLE CLAIMS.
sC0FFs AT LOSES CHARGE
Professor Stromeren Says pr. Cook Revealed Full Knowledge of Facts That Loose and Dunkle Say
 They Supplied.

tempt has been made to bribe Knute Rasmussen to denounce Dr. Cook, os- tensibly from the Peary Arctic club, is the declaration published in the Politiken here.
 The Politiken says that an unnamed Greelander, who is known to be Knute Rasmussen, received several letters, ostensibly from the Peary Arctic club, asking him to denounce Cook. Ras- mussen, who is half Dane and half Eskimo, is himself an Arctic explorer and warm supporter of Cook.
 The Politiken hints that a hand some financial reward was held out for this Greenlander if he would de- nounce Cook
 Says Loose Charges Ridiculous.
 Prof. Elias Stromgren of the chair of astronomy in the University of Copenhagen, president of the commit tee that is to investigate the data of Dr. Frederick A Cooks polar expe- dition, came out unequivocally in ex- pressing his skepticism of the affida- wits made by Capt A. w. Loose and George H. Dunkle, who say they faxed the records Cook is to present to the commission.
 Prof. Stromgren would not permit himself to be quoted directly, but he intimated that the charges in the af- f1davits fall of their own weight when they assert that Dr. Cook showed his ignorance of astronmical observations He said that before Dr. Cook sailed from Copenhagen for America the ex- plorer talked with numerous Scandi- navian scientists about the very things which his accusers charge him with being grossly ignorant, and thor. oughly satisfied the scientists of his complete competency.
 Stromgren says Dr. Cook revealed full knowledge of the facts that Loose and Dunkle say they supplied to him.
 Danes See a Conspiracy.
 No man of Dr. Cooks general knowl- edge, scientists here declare, could have done the amount of Arctic travel that he has done without being we'll versed in the scientific phases in Arctic travel
 The belief is general here that widespread and formidable conspiracy exists among Dr. Cooks enemies to discredit his achievements
 It is pointed out there that many of those upon whom Dr. Cook has a right to rely for substantial proof of his claims, both as to the north pole and to Mount Mckinley, have been tam pered with" and the opinion is ex- pressed that fortune has already been spent in manufacturing" evi- dence against Dr. Cook. It is this belief in conspiracy to rob Dr. Cook of his laurels that is causing the Danish authorities ta proceed with such caution in their investigation of Cooks data.
 Cook Tricked, Says LonsdaIe.
 The personnel of the examining committee, as now formed, is: Prof Stromgren, president; Commodore Gustave Holm, an explorer; Commo- dore A. B. Jensen, director of the School of Navigation; Dr. Hechali, director of the meteorological office; Dr. Ryder and Dr. Ergstroem, both of Lunds observatory. This commit tee will take every precaution to es- cape either being deceived or becom- ing involved in scientific scandal.
 Walter Lonsdale, private secretary of Dr. Cook, said Cook was tricked into believing that Capt. Loose was an astronomer and submitted his rec ords to him for no other purpose than to get his expert opinion.
 'Dr Cook withdrew his record within a few days Lonsdale says, lon account of Loose's personal hab- it's and general incompetency. I saw Dr. Cooks records both before and after Looses examination, and I will make oath that they were not changed in thes lightest particular as result of this inspection. Every observa- tion that Loose examined was dic- tated to him by Dr. Cook from the doctors original notes."
 The Politiken quotes Knute Ras- mussen as saying that Capt. Loose's charges are foolish and childish