The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-12-23

Va thS pAAsy At0SAAS@ st.o "------'---'
May Dismiss Cook.
New York, Dec 22.-The members
of the Arctic Club OF America, at
meeting tonight. adopted q resolution
TO refer the question of further mem-
bership of DIR. Frederick A. Cook to the
Board OF Directors, with power to act.
1t was said that charges would be
preferred against DR.. Cook by some
OF the members and presented to the
Directors for consideration.
DR.. Cook is q member of the Execu1
tive Committee of the club.
Rudolph Kersting. newly elected
treasurer of the club. who accompa-
MED DR.. Cook on the Greenland ex-
pedition In 1894 and 1901 to Alaska,
preached the subject OF DR.. Cooks
membership.
He argued that the University of
Copenhagen, after q studied and thor
ough investigation. had declared DR.
Cook an imposter, and he favored i'm
mediate steps to dismiss him from the
club.
"By his hoax he has disgraced the
Arctic club" said Kcrsting.
instantly the meeting was thrown
into an uproar and the debating that
ensued was long and stormy.
1t was learned that not more than
two or three members ct the most
supported DIR. Cook outright. DIR. Ros-
well o. Stebbins, who was the leader
in organizing the Cook relief expedi-
ton before the explorer was heard
from, urged that 1t was too serious a
matter TO dispose Of hurriediy and
that the regular course of presenting
formal charges for the consideration
of the board Of directors should be
followed.
Nansen Hot Against Cook.
Christiana, Dec. 22.-Fridtjof Nan
sen, the Norwegian Arctic explorer,
today broke his long silence and talk
ed of the Peary-Cook controversy.
1T is my opinion" he said. that DR..
Cook IL no longer interesting. He is
practically a dead man and ought to
vanish from the consideration OF the
world. I never trusted him. for the
first report he made did not inspire
confidence. especially his statements
made concerning the distance Of four
teen seconds from the pole. This
proved that Cook wes ignorant of the
simplest principles of economical OBJ
servations. Even his later reports
contained nothing asof svalueSA a0nan thei
contrary they were fiIled with improb-
abilities and contradictions.
From the first ~as unable to sup
port DR.. Cook. I therefore preferred
TO keep silent.
"As for Peary, never doubted his
veracity, although 3 did not approve
OF his behavior after his return. How
ever, Il is easy to understand his in
dignation. At least ne Is q man, and
there is no comparison between him
and DR.. Cook"
Peary May seek south Pole.
New York, Dec. 22-Commander
Peary very strongly intimated tonight
in speech at the banquet Of the New
England Society that the expedition
which he led successfully to the North
Pole might also try for the South
Pole. However. he did not commit
himself definitely as to his own share
in such an expedition.
1.-THE stars and stripes have been
planted at the north POLE" said Peary.
TT would seem a fitting sequel to that
work of the organization. the person.
mel, the material, the equipment, the
methods so perfected. might be direct
ed toward the South Pole. with the
possibility that the stars and stripes
might wave at both ends of the
earth's axis"
Commander Peary's reference to the
personnel" was taken by many OF the
diners that he himself might lead such
an expedition into the antarctic as
he proposed and lid applause greeted
IT. But those familiar with Peary's
repeated and positive declarations that
ne is done with further frigid explora-
tons forever, believed that he meant
to exclude himself.
]. p. Morgan, Commander Peary,
Charles Nagel. secretary of commerce
and labor: Frank Hitchcock. Postmas-
ter General. and President Garfield,
of William College were among the
$50 guests who attended the 1O4th an
nuaI festival dinner of the New Eng
land Society. Seth Low was toast
master.
Asked unequivocally after the ban
quet If he intended to lead such an
expedition, Peary said:
IT am prepared to assist in the or
ganization of such an expedition to
set out from the United States in an
endeavor to reach the south pole"
This reply evidently carefully word
ed. still leaves open the main ques-
ton at issue.