The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-12-22
University of Copenhagen
Finds That the Data Sub
mitted Is Not Sufficient to
Prove Discovery of Pole.
RASMUSSEN ONE OF
THE UNIVERSITY BOARD
Some Talk of ReyOking the De-
gree Conferred by the COL
Iege, but That Point Left for
Future Developments,
GENERAL OPINION ABROAD

Copenhagen, Dec. 21.-The report
of the special committee Of scientists,
which the University of Copenhagen
appointed to investigate DR.. Freder-
lex A. Cooks claim that he had dis
covered the north pole, was submitted
to the consistOry Of the university
this morning, endorsed by that body
and given to the public.
The report skaters completely, al
most contemptuOusly, the American
explol er's title to such discovery and
fills the people Of Denmark with cha
grin with the position it is made to
assume in the eyes Of the scientific
world.
The public was prepared for a verdict Of
s.not proven" but did not expect its re-
cent hero TO be branded as an imDOstor.
Nslv cling to the belief that Cook acted
in good faith, but harbored a deluslon.
The explorers and scientists almost
unanimously have lost faith in COOK
honesty, while one of his Warmest sup
pOrters. Knud Rasmussen helped 20 frame
the report
IHA evening papers alLAlA ara e1NeLtl4
repToach hlu Tor hiding which lney re-
gard as sign OF a guilty conscience.
The rector of the university, DR.. Salo-
mOnsOn, when questioned as 10 the pos
sibility of the university cancetling the
degree which it conferred ON DR.. Cook
said that no decision had been reached.
but he thought that the degree would
be withdrawn ia the same way as gov
eminent would deprive a person of an
order obtained under false pretenses.
Commodore Gustav Holm. Arctic eX-
plorer and member OF the committee,
said.
Cooks claim that ne made the obser-
walton 80 degrees 50 minutes 46 seconds
near the pole proved Immediately that he
was a bad observer but nothing Indicated
that he was "a sWndler, Now, his papers
convict him of being swindler. We eX-
amined Cooks observations first and
agreed unanimously that they were
worthless, 1T is not unlikely that Loose
made the observations He is clever
man, just the sort that Cook could use
The National Tidende, while deplOring
that the university conferred the degree
Sra moment of enthusiasm, finds ConsO-
Iation in the fact that others honOred
Cook when he returned 10 civilization.
The president of his own country and
its envoy at Copenhagen says the paper,
''Were the guarantOrs Of him. Denmark
did not blunder alone. our country must
now leave this SAD affair TO America and
Cook"
Rasmussen's Opinion.
In an interview tonight Knud Rasmus-
sen said:
''Ihe university would not call me at
first because L was one of DIT. Cooks
strongest supporters. Later, however. I
was invited TO the investigation, and when
j saw the observations L realized it was q
scandal
My confidence i'm Cook has been based
on personal impressions. or reports that
j had received and also on the testimony
of the EskimOs when they all said that
he had made the trip from Cape Sparbo
10 Etah. and such a trip, IN the dark Of
winter, would suffice TO make man ia
nous. But the papers which Cook sent
To C0peuhagen university are most inn
pudenL Any school boy could make such
calculations TT is a most childish at
tempt az cheating. Cook has killed him
self by his own foolish acts