The Irish standard., 1909-12-25

l knew Cook we'll and knew he could
not be trusted"
Its incomprehensible! hardly
know what to say" said Anthony Fiala,
Arctic explorer and former warm sup.
porter of DR.. Cook, when word was
conveyed TO him at his office on Lib.
erty street of the finding at Copen.
hagen. Fiala had persisted when the
storm ragged most fiercly around DR..
Cook after his return from Copen.
hagen that he implicitly believed in
the explorer He talked with Dr. Cook
and the explorer assured him that he
had all the observations he needed 10
prove the polar discovery. ITO think
he has not even sent one observation
over there!" exclaimed Fiala ut is
inconceivable! l have been one of DR..
Cooks most ardent friends and hest.
tate now to speak i'll of him, but this
verdict, with the revelations it brings,
stuns me. II DR.. Cook has submitted
lot Of typewriter material there
with nothing to back 1t up can only
say that he must have known his claim
would not be upheld"
Egan Still Thinks Cook Honest.
New York. Dec. 23.-The ladies of
Denmark will never believe that DR..
Cook was wrong, and my daughter,
who Is with me, will weep when she
hears the report" said DR. Maurice +.
EGan, American minister to Denmark,
whom the Danes now partly blame for
his strong craftsmanship of DR.. Cook,
which led them to recognize the Amer.
lean explorer as the discoverer of the
north pole.
DR.. Egan, who arrived here on the
steamer Oscar ii. and who will remain
| during the holidays, talked freely re.
| garding his own part in the enthusi-
astic reception of Dr.. Cook at Copen-
hagen. which led to the acclaim of DR..
| Cook as q hero all over the civilized
world
What did for Cook" said the
minister. ~ don't believe influenced
the Danes apprsciably in their recep-
tion Of the explorer.
Cook reached Copenhagen with a
| story Of polar conquest which there
| was then no reason to doubt. Danish
explorers vouched for Cooks standing
in the world of discovery and received
him with open arms.
Il myself welcomed him not only as
an American seeking civilization after
narrowing experiences and needing as
sistance. but as a citizen who, from
his own then undisputed story, had &C.
complished great task.
"Ofticially did practically nothing
for Cook but to supply him with cloth.
ing and gave him small reception,
which newspaper men attended. His
presentation to the king came about
as a result of the crown princes desire
to meet the explorer AT the princes
request | took Cook to the palace,
where he met the members of the
royal family.
ut can hardly be denied that the
fact that Cook was an American help
ed him gain immediate credit for his
story, for the Danish people are great
admirers OF Americans
The Danes" he said, "arc the most
competent Judges in such matters and
I am forced to accept their opinion
l can't. however. bring myself to be-
lieve that Cook deliberately set out
to deceive the world. | still think
that Cook is an honest man, who be-
lieves that he accomplished what he
through lack Of scientific knowledge"
"Cook No Gentleman" Danes Say.
Copenhagen. Dec 23.-Thc morning
papers generally find comfort for the
Cook affair in the thought that the
only fault that may be charged against
the Danes is that they accepted the
explorers word as that of q gentle.
man.
The Politiken says: Frankly, we
regret only that an honorary degree
was bestowed upon this man by the
University Of Copenhagen. But one
member of the university council adj.
vlsed against the action TAKEN
The Koebenhavn says: Cooks
abasing Of our university is his great.
est shame. Fortunately, the univer.
sity itself tells the world of it's mis-.
take"
Other papers recall that all the
Scandinavian explorers who were ac.
quainted with Cook supported him
and insist that under the circum.
stances any other city would have
given the explorer a similar recep
ton. They intimate that at the time
other cities envied Copenhagen it's op
portunity to be first to welcome and
honor him.
schIey Stands by Cook.
Washington, Dec. %. - Reafirmine
his complete confidence in DR.. Cook
Read Admiral w. s. Schlcy, retired
called publicly upon Commander
Peary to submit his proofs that he
reached the North pole to some scien
tific body other than the National
Geographic society This, the admiral
declares, should be done at once in the
interests of Justice and to establish
beyond question the claims of Peary
The admiral believes that the same
body which threw out and repudiated