The San Francisco call., 1910-12-26
POLE FINDER
PREFERS PEARY
TO DANISH FOE
Doctor Declares Recent Attack
Is Due to a Snub in
the North
Former Friend Not Invited to
Cabin Dinner Because He
Smelt of Oil
Critic Is Accused of Muckrak-
ing in Order to Get Public
Attention

N lew YORK, Dec 2S.-By implica-
NJ tion accusing Knud Rasmussen.
the Danish explorer, OF "stoop-
ing to the depths of a literary muck
raker to get public attention DR..
Frederick A. Cook. the Brooklyn ex-
plorer, gave out reply tonight to Ras-
mussen,s recent attack on Cook, which
was published November last
Incidental to his defense Of his own
narrative OF arctic exploration, Doctor
Cook says that by Rasmussens meth
DDS of Investigating Robert e. Peary
could. with equal ease, be discredited.
but declares that he will take Peary's
word in preference to either that Of
Rasmussen or the Eskimos" in the mat
ter of his own accomplishments.
Rasmussen's attack on Cook was
sent by him to his wife in Copenhagen,
and by her made public It contained
what purported to be statements from
Cooks two Eskimo companions in his
North Polar quest. Itukusuk and Api-
lax Rasmussen said he did not per-
sonally talk with the Eskimos. but
their statements were taken by two
missionaries who were working In the
country from which Doctor Cook said
he started for the pole.
Stories of Eskimo Boys
These stories were in brief: The
Eskimos left Annatok with Cook with
eight sledges In February. slept once
on the ice on the way to Ellsmereland
and took four days to cross that land.
Eighteen days out all but the. two
Eskimo boys left. The nineteenth day
they changed their course westward.
Later Apilak came upon Cook drawing
map He -scxeds nirn whose route he
was drawing
My own, said the explorer. but
that the statement makes the boy
say. was a lie. because he drew the
map long way out at sea, where he
had never been
The Eskimo's statement continued
that the party eventually reached Cape
Seddon and wintered there: that Cook
spent most of the time writing and at
first sight of the sun they started
home: that the explorer promises them
a good reward. but I'VE did not get
the guns he promised us. He gave us
only a knife, some matches and USE
less boat
Commenting on this report, Rasmus-
sen said:
Il regard the report as absolutely
authentic
False" Declares Cook
In his statement given out tonight
Cook answers categorically the state
ments imputed. to the Eskimo boys.
denying each in turn and giving rea-
sons why he thinks they should be con-
sidered false; declares that Rasmussen
has reason to dislike him; says no ef-
fort was made to get at the truth in
the alleged examination of the two
boys, but that, on the contrary, they
we're piled with leading questions de-
signed to evolve the answers desired,
and points out what he terms the we'll
known tendency. of all Indians to give
answers which they believe will please
their questioners.
Cook says Rasmussen's reputation as
an arctic siedge traveller rests upon a
Journey from Tassauasak to Cape York
This trip" he says. was but step
in my return voyage, occupying only
three and half days, and itis covered
by one sentence ending my narrative"
C-,,L f~~ Da~rr,~rau
Rasmussen's reasons to be hostile to
him Cook finds in a snub which he was
compelled to administer to the Dane In
1907, when the yacht Bradley. arrived in
North Star bay, Rasmussen came
aboard, he says, dressed in old. greasy
furs and exuding strong stencil of oil.
He and the Dane became ''chummy" at
once. and he said to Bradley. I'VE must
invite Rasmussen to dinner"
Bradley. he says, replied: mo, for
Gods sake, no; I will get sea sick from
that odor.''
The result was. Cook says. that he
asked the captain to take the Dane to
his mess, and Rasmussen has good rea-
son to take this treatment as a snub.
in 1909. says the statement, "Ras-
mussen saw relatives and friends of
the Eskimo boys who had been with
me, and from them gathered informa-
ton which convinced him that I had
been to the pole. He has no other in
formation now, but for reasons best
known to himself he comes to an oppo-
site opinion.
"All these false statements, says
Cook. would have been found false by
putting few questions to the older
men of the supporting party, but it was
not done. although there were half a
dozen men who could have affirmed. or
denied the boys story. Even Peary's
statement contradicted these asser-
! ton &