The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1909-09-16
ONLY WHITE MAN
AT POLE--PEARY
Commander Again Says Cook
Was Not There.
WON'T DEBATE MATTER NOW
Peary Declares He Can Prove Ais As
ssrtion and viii Disere6t Cooks
Claim When Proper Time Comes.
Repeats He Has Rival Nailed But
Declines 10 Give Details.

Claim When Proper Time Comes.
Repeats Hs Has Rival Mailed" But
Declines TO Give Details.
Battle Hsrbor. Labrador. Sept Is
4 am the only white man who has
ever reached the North Pole. and am
prepared 10 prove it This statement
was made TO the representative OF the
Associated Press by Commander Rob
ert <. Peary in reply to a question on
the Peary Cook controversy.
The Associated Press tug Douglas
Thomas. after \ stormy passage up the
west coast OF New Foundiand and
through the Strait OF Belle Isle from
Sydney. arrived at this lonely whaling
ard mission settlement Monday.
The Thomas drew near 70 the Roose
welt The steamer looked little the
worse for her second trip to the polar
regions Along the rail were gathered
the members OF her famous crew.
among them the redOubtable Captain
Bartlett who was at once recognized.
Captain Bartlett invited the Thomas
TO lay alongside and the CORES pOndent
20 come on board without delay The
CORES ondent clambered over the
weather-besten bulwarks and proceed
81 direct TO tbs cabin TO meet the man
who has stood upon the apex % the
world
The commanders greeting was cor.
dial This is new record In news
paper enterprise he said and ap-
preciste the compliment"
The correspondent al once began
questioning the explorer regarding the
merits OF DR. Frederick 4 Cook S
claim 20 have reached the pole. The
commander declared positively that ne
would not further discuss this subject
until the main point whether DR. Cook
had actually reached The North Pole
or not had been decided by Others He
then dictated the following statement
20 the Associated Press for publica.
ton.
WlH Prove Cooks Claim False.
Il am the only white man who has
ever reached the North Pole. and am
prepared 20 prove IL AZ the proper
time have already stated publicly
thst Cook has not been TO the pole.
This reafirm. and / will stand by IL.
but I decline 10 discuss the details OF
~ matter. These will come out later.
have said that Dr Cooks statement
that he had reached the pole should
not be taken seriously. aud that have
him nailed by concrete proofs 20 sup
port my statement In six months YOU
probably Wiu get the whole story Il
would not De- policy for me- fo enter
upon a fun debate with the subject as
il now stands To do 80 7 would be
giving out much Information or which
other uses could be made intend 20
wait until Dr Cook has issued his fuli
authorized statements u - the pres
ent time there have been only newspa-
per accounts of Dr Cooks alleged
polar trip and these may or may not
be accurate when d.. Cook has time
70 Issue complete authorized version
~ his journey Vill be the proper OBJ
por-lnlty FOR ME 20 make public the
Information which 7 have. After that
the Jury-.n other words the people
and the scientific bodies OF the world
viii pass Judgment on the matter. and
there viii then be nothing LEFT OF Or.
Cooks case hut hts own assertions
that he has reached the North Pole In
the meanwhile IL Is my determination
not 20 deal with debates FOR the rea
sons already stated"
Commando Peary was then asked II
new land could have been discovered
In latitude 81 longitude SIS. In reply he
shrugged his shoulders and said il was
quite possible that an unknown CONT
nent existed further west He referred
10 the land discovered by himself on
previous trips that had not yet been
explored
Commande- Peary IS done with ac-
tive exploring He will continue 10
take an interest in Arctic and Ant.
arctic exploration. but from his home.
and ne declared that he would with.
draw from field work.