Evening star., 1909-09-12
International Polar Commits
sion Sure to Sift Facts.
CRITICISM OF Ex-MEMBER
C. L. Seitz Makes Comment on
Peary's Words and Deeds.
NO WHITE MAN WITH HIM
Rigorous Ivestigation Of Belgium
Society Sure to Reveal Un-
truth, He Is Sure.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
EVANSVILLE. Ind. September -11.-Dr.
Charles L. Seitz. former member OF the
international polar commission. organized
at Belgium, and member of two expedi-
tions in search Of the pole, said today that
the commission Will make inquiry into all
the facts regarding the Peary and Cook
discoveries, and the investigation win be
rigorous.
Why Peary." he said. ION the grounds
that there were no capable witnesses.
should discredit Cooks success is strange.
To his farthest north record of 81 degrees
and 6 minutes of 1905. there was abso-
lutely no white witness or any one capa-
BILE Of making verihcations Of his reck-
onings.
I'm addition to three Eskimos there was
only Matt Hansen. the hardy negro, who
accompanied him on each one of his trips.
None OF these was to be relied upon any
more than the Eskimos that were with DR..
Cook. yet no one disputed Peary's record.
Other Explorers in Same Boat.
"It has been the same way with the
other two explorers. who, prior to these
latest records. were the only men to pass
beyond the S6-degree mark Yet the
Duke of Abruzzis record Of 1900 and
Nansen's record Of 1896 were given full
credit
Capt. Cagni, for the Duke OF Abruxal.
had three white men with him. it is true.
when he took his observations at the So
degree "a minute point. Yet no one OF
them could tell within hundreds OF miles
OF where he stood at the time.
Johansen was the only witness to the
observation of Nansen when he stood IA
minutes beyond the Seth parallel. Johan-
Il 4 fte inst &c
True. there were some scientists who
attacked Nansen's records. In the end
they were generally accepted. as ] believe
both Cooks and Pearys will be in time.
diets of the various geographical So
cieties and. to some extent. possibly.
upon popular opinion.
Inquiry Will Reveal Truth.
Undoubtedly the International Polar
Commission organized at Belgium will
make an extensive inquiry into all the
facts. AS / was formally member Of
this commission, I know how rigorous
that investigation will be.
IF there is anything untrue in Cooks
figures these geographical societies will
expose that untruth. 1t is practically
impossible for any one TO make false
observations that could stand the test
movements of the sun that an explorer
could never keep up on with his few
Instruments would serve as an abso-
lutte check upon bogus calculations
made supposedly from the pole. AS the
scientific almanacs are made out only
about two years ahead, Cook would
have lacked sufficient data to have faxed
convincing figures. =
Dimculty Of Computation.
1T is difficult for some. to realize how
hard it is for one to compute some OF this
knowledge. For instance. the Fiala ex-
petition. of which l was a member. from
1903 to. 1905, ran out Of data as to the
position of the sun. owing to the fact that
have mentioned about the almanacs. As
an assistant to the man who made the
observations for the party, labored with
him for almost the entire winter to CAL
culate the position of the sun.
In q wind-swept ice field. without ade-
Quate protection, no man can be de-
pended upon to make calculation OF a
position that he has not attained The
true observations Of his actual position
are difficult enough to make.
The International Polar Commission Is
a body having headquarters in Brussels,
Belgium which keeps tab on all polar ex.
ploration and discovery. 1t Is OF inter-
national reputation.
Its members are eminent scientists.