Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-07
DIR. COOKS RECORDS.

Christiania dispatch brings news
of the arrival OF the secretary of DR..
Cook, In Christiansand, with the docu-
| lnents that are to be examined In Cop
cnhagen, for tho purpose OF settling the
North Pole controversy In few more
hours the records will he In the hands
OF competent and impartial scientists.
and the public can afford to await
their verdict, before forming a final
opinion. We have no doubt the report
Will be closely scrutinized, and ex-
amined in every detail. and the find
| ings Will have the weight of authority.
| The American minister In Copenhagen,
| 1t seems. has been invited to be present
| at the sessions of the commission. He
| will be in position to Judge OF the
proceedings and of the outcome. wheth-
er tho verdict be favorable or other
wise to DR.. Cook
To the casual observer 1t might ap-
pear an easy matter to fake a report
that would deceive "even the elect" but
il is not So ~ thousand little things
that experts are quick to detect would
betray a faker Statements regarding
the altitude of the sun each day can
be tested, and so can the nautical in
struments by which observations are
made, as to their accuracy The very
photographs OF scenes and landscapes
can be made to tell their own story. for
the shadows of objects as seen in the
pictures can be measured and they Will
indicate with accuracy the position of
the sun at the time of the impression
on the plate. When the records are ex-
amined by experts there is very little
doubt that the truth will be known.
There are some signs that the find
ings of the Copenhagen savants are to
be discredited in advance, in case they
are favorable to DR.. Cook Thus Walter
Wellman. who has entertained the
world With spectacular failures IN bal
loon experiments. says:
There is a general expectation that
Cooks records, when examined by tho
university of Copenhagen, will deter
mine once for all whether he Is honest
or an impostor. In view of,the physical
imposslbility of doing what he claims
to have done. and in view also of the
ease with which so-called astronomical
observations may be fabricated, can
not share this view"
That is to say, In the judgment of |
Wellman, Cook has not reached the |
North Pole. no matter what impartial !
scientists may say. after an examina-
ton OF his records. Is that fair? or |
honorable? True. the Utah leaders of
the persecution of the Church, some |
years ago, sent to the United States
Senate a number of accusations with
the understanding that the verdict OF
hat august tribunal would be accepted
Il favorable to the accusers but re
ected If not favorable; but that course
s not generally deemed neither far
1or honorable. 9'fHE
In the meantime we hope the report
hat DR.. Cook has collapsed owing to
The mental strain to which he has been
subjected since his return to this coun-
pad should the controversy culminate
n a tragedy. Some men. when persist
.ntly bounded, though innocent OF
find themselves unable to
,ear up under the persecution, and even
N Arctic explorer may be sensitive to
ontinuous blasts of malice. We hope
Dr. Cook may not have been seriously
Effected physically by the premature
opposition. Whether his claim Is true
IT not, he is entitled to the benefit of
he doubt until the verdict . is pro-
and the courtesy due to a
ersistent and fearless explorer.