Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1909-09-10
PEARY VERSUS COOK.

1t is certainly to be regretted that
there is to be cantankerous dispute
between Peary an dCook. Peary has
opened his guns by direct accusa-
ton that Cook never went near the
pole. Cook smiles complacentIy and
states that the due proof will be in
readiness for a scientific investigat-
ing committee. Peary is well known
to be man of highly irascible tenn
permanent, and tits easily conjectur-
able that his chagrin over Cooks
reaching the pole in advance of him
may lead him into high-tempered ex-
plosions. The fact that to win the
distinction of discovering the pole has
been the ambition of the past twenty
years of his life does not make it any
the easier for him to see a compare
lively obscure rival snatch the COW
eted honor from his grasp The fact,
too, that Cook stole march, as it
We're, upon Peary, making his Arctic
trip without any blowing of trumpets,
and succeeded in securing the services
of the best trained Eskimos and the
hardest dogs for the over-ice trip,
has not sat easy upon the nerves
either of Peary or his friends and
supporters.
Peary's attack on Cook of course
unsettles confidence to some extent in
the latter's claims. Yet it must not
be forgotten that the leading explor-
ers of Scandinavia the scientists and
geographers of Denmark who have de-
voted their lives to Arctic studies, af-
ter meeting Cook and hearing his
story have unquestioningly accepted
it as authoritative These men are
trained to discover flaws, to detect
imposture, aud it is hardly credible
that they would put the stamp of their
endorsement upon Cooks claims if he
had not really adequate evidence to
support them.
If Cook substantiates his claims
fully, and it is quite probable that he
will, Peary will find himself placed
in a most awkward and unpleasant
position, the position of a man who
in fit of splenetic disappointment
sought to deprive another man of the
honor that was justly his. One can
readily appreciate how Peary feels
after two decades of exploration, to
make the pole only to find that some
one has been there before him. But
that is not adequate reason for such
vicious attack as he has made on
Cook. Cooks idea of polar explora-
ton ethics may not be all that Pearys
friends would like them to be, and il
may be that he did avail himself OF
resources that Peary expected to have
the use of, but even that does not be-
cloud his title to the honor of the
discoverer of the North Pole.
Time will probably unravel the
problem and really decide whether
SOOh Vi Cbl was InS III 81 Ildu "
penetrate to the heart of the mystery
and plant the flag on the nothern
apex of the globe. If Cook is an i'm
poster he will certainly be uncovered
But the man does not act like oae
Peas-y7s 1atIdrn does not seem TO caus,
him the slightest anxiety He seem
willing to give all honor to Pear,
| without relaxing his own claims. H,
is said to be calm, dignified, utterini
no words of recrimination, and t.
make, as a matter of fact, much bet
ter impression than Peary with hi
/ accusations and Peary's friends witt
their attacks.
The world, scientific and unscien
tific, evidently has a somewhat weari
some and exceedingly prolonged ant
! acrimonious discussion ahead of il
1t will be interesting at first, but tn
| general public will probably be vel
wearied of the whole matter and cage
for new sensation before the fina
chapter is reached and the palm defin
itely awarded by competent judges t,
one or the other man. And in an,
event the hero is an American, which
satisfies the public fully.