The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-09-15
> ONLY WHITE MAN
TO REACH THE
NORTH POLE"
Peary Prepared to Prove 1t at
Proper Time.
DR.. COOK WAS NEVER THERE
Commander of Roosevelt Reiterates
CIaim-WilI Wait for Cooks
Statement.

Battle Harbor, Labrador, Sept Is
via wireless to Cape Ray, n. FL
am the only white man who has ever
reached the North Pole and am pre-
pared TO prove it,"
This statement was made to the re-
preventative of the Associated Press
by Commander Robert Il. Peary in re.
ply to a question on the Peary- Cook
controversy.
The Associated Press tug Douglas
Thomas after stormy passage up the
west coast of Newfoundland and
through the Strait of Belle Isle from
Sydney, Cape Breton, arrived at this
lonely whaling and mission settle
ment at noon Monday.
Tne commanders greeting was
most cordial. This is a new record
in newspaper enterprise" he said,
and | appreciate the compliment"
The correspondent at once began
questioning, the successful explorer
regarding the merits of DR.. Frederick
A. Cooks claim to have reached the
pole
The commander declared positively
that he would not further discuss the
subject until the main point, whether
Or. Cook had actually reached the
North Pole or not, had been decided
by others. He then dictated the fol
lowing statement for publication:
Il am the only white man who has
ever reached the NORTH Pole and | am
prepared to prove it at the proper
lime. have already stated publicly
that Cook has not been to the pole
This | reaffirm, and | will stand by II,
but | decline to discuss the details of
the matter These will come out la
ter. | have said that DR. Cooks
statement that he had reacned the
pole should not be taken seriously
and that have him nailed by con
crete proofs to support my statement
In six months you probably will
get-the whole story IL would not be
policy for me to enter upon full de
bate of the subject as 1t now stands.
TO do so would be giving out much
of which other. uses could
be made | intend to wait until DR.
Cook has issued ais full authorized
statements. Up to the present time
there have been only newspaper ac-
counts of DR.. Cooks alleged polar trip
and these may or may not be accur-
ate. When DIR. Cook has time 40 is
sue a complete authorized version of
his journey will be the proper oppor-
tunity for me to make public the in
formation which | have. After that
the jury, In other words the people
and the scientific bodies of the world
will pass judgment ON the matter and
har mil hn of Of
Cooks case but his, own assertions |
hat he has reached the North Pole, !
IN the meanwhile it is my determine |
ion not to deal WITH debates for the |
'easons already stated"
Commander Peary was then asked |
f new land could have been discov |
sred in latitude 81, longitude Sc. In
eply he shrugged his shoulders and |
laid it was quite possible that an I'M
lnown continent existed further west.
lie referred to the land discovered by |
himself on previous trips that had not
ct been explored.
Asked what would be the Internal
onal effect of planting the Stars and
stripes at tne North Pole, Commander
'eary said that he had notified the
secretary of State that he had taken
ossession of the Pole in the name of
he United States, and that it remain
d for the Secretary to decide what
hat meant He said he had left rec
rds ION the ice at the Pole.
Commander Peary is done with ac-
I've exploring. He will continue to
AXE an interest in Arctic and Antar
C exploration, but from his home,
nd he declared that he would with
raw from field work.