The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-09-23
COOK SUBMITS 4
TO INQUISIT|ON
interviewed by Forty News.
paper Men In Bunch.
TAKE LOOK AT HIS DIARY

Points Heretofore In poubt-An-
swsrs All Questions In straiehtfor-
ward Manner and Declares Peary
Controversy Is Closed as Far as He
Is Concerned.
New York, Sept. 23.--Dr. Frederick
A. Cook. after spending most of the
day seeking rest and seclusion with
his family, in his suite at the Wal.
dorf.Astoria, submitted to the Sc
verest cross.examination since he an.
nounced his discovery OF the north
pole.
The ordeal of the Interview, which
was conducted by 40 newspaper rep.
resentatlyes, including several from
foreign newspapers, proved at least
that he was not afraid to meet the
public. Incidentally the city of New
York officially recognized his achieve.
ment when the board OF aldermen
passed resolution commemorative
the discovery and providing for a
public welcome at the city hall. The
date Of thel reception will be an.
nounced later.
The material points of DR.. Cooks
answers did not differ In a great de.
gree from his original recital. Some
slight details were cleared up, how.
ever, which throw light on the way
in which the polar dash was effected.
As the questions asked were put by
laymen, they did not go deeply into
the scientific aspect Of the expedi-
tion, but Or. Cook was ready to an.
swer anything pertinent to the issue.
The most interesting phase of the
interview was reached when DR..
Cook was asked II he would object
to showing his diary. He immediate
ly consented. and after retiring to his
room returned with a small octave
notebook which he showed freely to
all. II was thin book containing
176 pages. each OF which was filed
with so or GO lines of penciled writ
ing In the most minute characters
The book, he said. contained consid.
erably more than 100000 words,
while he has besides other books en-
bracing HIS observations and other
data. He did not show them, how
ever.
AS question after question was ask.
ed, whether 1t was of trivial nature
or of a more serious trend, DIR. Cook
answered In low voice without hes
itancy, as though In full possession
Of all his facts.
The interviewers we're rather Sc
we're In regard to details, but nothing
indicated that the polar travellers
memory was at fault even in the
most minute particulars. Sometimes
when a petty question indicated ig-
norance he smiled with good-humored
sympathy at the lack of technical
knowledge displayed. Occasionally,
when a question was long and com
plicated. he asked for its repetition.
Not once did he refuse to reply, ex-
cept when the name of Commander
Peary was broached, Even then ne
said that he had always and did now
consider Peary as his friend, but con.
troversial subjects in connection with
his rival he avoided entirely, saying
that they could wait. Throughout
the interview he exhibited the utmost
patience.
When requested to say what had
occurred at his meeting with Harry
Whitney, the New Haven sportsman,
he said he preferred TO let Whitney
tell his own story, as Whitney was
quite unbiased. His reasons In i'm
posing secrecy on Whitney, OH
Pritchard, Commander Peary's cabin
boy. and the Eskimos. were prompted
by his desire to be the first to tell
the world OF his discovery. He had
done the work he said, and was enti
tied to relate how It had been car.
ried out. Some of the most impor.
tant questions put to Or. Cook during
the interview and HIS replies thereto
follow:
Odd anything ever occur In the
life OF yourself and Mr.. Peary that
would create an enmity or bitterness
between You? A.-No, nothing what
ever that ] know Of
Q.-Do you look upon Commander
Peary as friend or as an enemy?
Al must say | do not know. ! have
treated Mr.. Peary as friend and
until | know more about the situation
| shall continue to do the same.
Odd you ever say anything In
Etah that indicated that you feared
for your life If he got there? A.--No
O. Would you be willing to meet
Peary In debate when he gets here?
A.-As far as ] am concerned the
Peary incident Is closed. Mr. Peary
Is not the dictator of my affairs, and
! do not care to say anything further
about him.
OWN you describe In detail any
single observation taken by you at
the north pole, with the exact figures
OF the results and the corrections ap-
piled? A.-Not at this present mo-
ment. We will describe every one of
them In detail when they go to the
University OF Copenhagen. They will
go there within two months. The
entire records will be delivered to the
university, and after that thew win
go TO everybody that wants TO ex-