The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-11-16
JUDGE DARLlNe's OPINION
interesting Interview on the Peary
Cook Controversy

Burlington, November 16.-Hon.
Charles H, Darling, collector of Gus
toms at the port of Burlington, who
has given much attention to Arctic
exploration, and who, probably knows
more about this subject than any
other man in Vermont, has consented
to give the Montpelier Journal an in
terview on the Peary-Cook controver-
sy over the discovery of the North
Pole.
Mr.. Darling is an intimate personal
friend of Commander Robert h. Peary
and has entertained the explorer at
his home in Burlington. Mr. Darling
has in his possession several valuable
relics of Arctic expeditions given to
him by Peary including some books
left in the Arctic region by General
Greeley, and which were discovered
about 20 years later by Peary and
brought back to America. AS Greeley
declined to receive them some of
them were given to Mr.. Darling.
While Mr.. Darling was Assistant
Secretary of the Navy he formed an
acquaintance With Peary and later as
Acting Secretary of the Navy, he
granted the explorer a leave of alb
sence for Arctic exploration on next
to The last expedition A peninsula
in the Arctic region was named by
Peary in honor of Mr.. Darling.
In an address delivered by Peary
before the National Geographic So
ciety October "a, 1903, and printed in
the National Geographic Magazine, he
said; Assistant Secretary Darling
in granting leave for the purpose of
the expedition, has continued the ira
ditions of the Navy Department and
has associated himself with Dobbin,
Kennedy, Robson and Chandler, all
of whose names are inscribed in our
Arctic charts. He has also put him
self in line with long list of British
Lords of the Admiralty, who have
seen the moral as well as the mater
iaI utility of Arctic exploration, and
have fostered and encouraged it with
all the means of their command"
It was Mr. Darlings purpose to ac-
company Commander Peary on the
Roosevelt on this last and successful
expedition as far as Etah, which was
well within the Arctic region. return.
ing on Government tender, but the
explorer was delayed in starting until
it was so late that this purpose had to
be abandoned.
When asked by a representative to
give his views on the Peary-Cook con
troversy Mr.. Darling said:
One of the most striking things
about the polar controversy is the
fact that so many people have lost
sight of the real issues. For instance
We hear someone say every day that
the burden is on Peary TO show that
Cook did not get to the Pole, where
as the rule is that whenever any man
asserts an extraordinary fact, or the
accomplishment OF an unusual feat, he
must prove every element that goes
to make up his case. If a man should
assert that he had been to the moon,
his case would not be proven as soon
as some other person said it was not
so, and thereby cast the burden upon
the party who said he had not been
to the moon to prove that he had not
So with respect TO DIR. Cooks claim
that he has been to the Pole. The
fact that Commander Peary denies
it does not make the case any differ
ent from what it would be if any
other person had denied it or disbe-
lieved it, The burden is on the doc
tor to establish his claim. This be-
comes more pronounced now that
Commander Peary has submitted his
data to the National Geographical So
ciety and that body, on examination
of the records and proofs, has deter
mined that he reached the Pole The
charts and maps of this country are
made by the Geological Survey, Geo
detic and Coast Survey and the Hy-
geographic Office of the Navy depart.
ment. The chiefs of these several
bureaus or Offices are members of the
National Geographic society and the
recognition of Commander Peary by
this society thereby becomes in effect
an official recognition.
THE charts or maps are not chang
ed. or added TO except as proper
proofs are presented establishing the
fact that the same is warranted by
some change of discovery AS, for
instance, DR.. Cook has lectured over
the country, more or less for the past
three years, and has written bool,
claiming to have made the ascent of