Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-08
PEARY VERSUS COOK
Prospects of Hot Controversy
Commented on in Europe.
LONDON PRESS SARCASTIC
Historic Dispute Between Rival Ex-
plorers Forecasted.
PARIS ACCEPTS PEARY'S WORD
German Scientists Deplore Quarrel
and Regard Both Accounts
as Believable.
LONDON PRESS SARCASTIC
PARIS ACCEPTS PEARY's WORD

LONDON, September s.-The direct
challenge to DR.. Cooks story that he
reached the north pole April q. 1908.
cabled from Indian Harbor by Command
er Peary, has given a marked impetus
to the growing tendency in scientific
as well as popular circles to regard the
claims of the earlier arrival from the
polar regions with more than suspicion.
This dramatic message from Com
mander Peary," says the Evening Stand
ard, which throws down In the most
emphatic manner the fabric built up SO
deliberately by DR.. Cook. probably is the
beginning of a dispute which will be-
come historic
The Westminster Gazette says:
Commander Peary's statement brings
the whole dispute to an acute crisis. and
the atmosphere Of the north pole Is be-
coming decidedly sultry. with stormy
complications adding that DIR. Cooks
lecture delivered at Copenhagen. last
night, was not altogether convincing.
Peary's Word Accepted.
Anticipating the controversy which is
bound to rage around the claims OF the
rival explorers, the Pail Mall Gazette
remarks:
'Sof ar as Peary is concerned there Is
no question whatever OF the accuracy Of
his statements. The veteran explorer Is
believed on his word. Everybody feels
that he has merely succeeded In setting
the crown of completeness to the long
meanwhile, DR.. Cook In his lecture last
night did not support his story with any
proof whatever"
In an editorial the Evening Standard Is
even more outspoken than In It's news
columns. Referring to the drastic char
acter of the bombshell thrown by Com
mander Peary. 1t declares that Peary has
sent word Ito shatter the pretenses OF
imposture. for that Is the only meaning
of his quite unambiguOus message. This
Peary has done because he Is convinced
OF the truth of his own assertion and be-
cause he feels that the honorable page OF
arctic exploration must at once be cleared
Of pretenses that could only dishonor It."
Cook Doubted in Paris.
PARIS. September S.-The press OF
Paris continues to be absorbed in the
rival claims OF DIR. Cook and Commander
Peary to the discovery OF the north pole.
There is a noticeable drift Of opinion In
the direction that DIR. Cook will have diff
f1culty in proving the validity Of his claim
in the face of the success of an expert
enced explorer like Peary
Practically all the newspapers agree
that DIR. Cook has passed into the back
ground since Peary entered on the scene.
Some of them declare that Peary's APP
pearance will mean that Cook will be
doubted more than ever.
Torp's Attitude Significant.
The Matin says that DIR. Cooks lecture
at Copenhagen last night fell coldly upon
his audience. which awaited proofs instead
~ nf old off 70 nd
that public opinion is changing against
Cook. Continuing. the paper says that
Prof Torp, rector of the Copenhagen
University. voted against giving DR.. Cook
an honorary degree. and 1t asked:
Would Prof. Torp have acted thus
without serious reasons?
The Journal also agrees that Dr. Cooks
lecture has made a bad impression. 1t
claims that King Frederick himself has
been disillusioned.
The Petit Partisan says the world will
acclaim Peary as the real conqueror of the
pole. 1t publishes the insinuation that
Cook Is merely trying to appropriate to
himself the honor which belongs to
Peary.
Dispute Deplored in Germany.
BERLIN. September s.-Herr Baschin.
custodian of the Berlin Geographical In
stitute and member Of the Drygalski ex-
petition, was interviewed today on the
claims of Dr. Cook and Commander Peary
each to have discovered the north pole.
He said:
Neither l nor most Of the other Ger
man geographers can understand why
the English scholars have attacked Cook.
Hitherto 1t has not been the custom In
scientific circles to attribute falsehoods
to explorers returning from unknown re-
gions. Most polar discoveries have been
made by the explorer alone, or at least
without large following. Peary, Cagni
and hansen reached the highest attitudes
alone or accompanied only by few Es-
kimos Their measurements were taken by
one person alone, and 1t Is consequently
of little importance whether the byStand-
ers were white men or Eskimos. since no
witness would be In a position to rectify
the measurements or determine whether
or not they had been correctly made.
Cooks Account Credible.
THE reports telegraphed from Copen-
hagen to the present time leave no doubt
regarding the correctness Of DR.. Cooks
narrative upon the points where COM
parison with facts previously established
is possible. 1t would be extremely audaci-
GUS Of DIR. Cook to declare he had found
the pole owing to the fact that Peary
was out for the same purpose. and would
be able to contradict Cooks claims. IL
they were false. when he returned to
civilization. Cook affirms there Is no
land at the north pole. Positive informa-
ton proving there was land at the pole
would Indicate that Cook was mistaken"
Various German newspapers attribute
the doubts raised in England to envy OF
the United States, or to general spirit
of unwillingness to admit that persons
Of any other nationality are capable OF
performing difficult and splendid feats.
"something Left to Be Done"
CHRISTIANIA, September S.-Capt.
ROAD Amundsen. discoverer OF the north
west passage. in an interview says:
ut is quite evident that Peary discov-
cred no trace of Cook In the continually
drifting ice Peary probably. as he
planned, made his dash from a more east
ern point than DR.. Cook. but many cir
cumstances may have arisen to cause a
change"
do you think that Peary obtained more
valuable scientific results than Cook?"
Capt. Amundsen was asked.
Probably not" he replied. They were
equally equipped with only absolutely
necessary instruments. Geographically
their achievements are of great impor-
lance 1t Is important also that the two
ronortS he COMPARED.