Omaha daily bee., 1910-12-27
COOK RAPS TRAVELLING DANE
Returned Doctor Wages Battle Of
Words with Explorer.
ACCUSES HIM AS MUCKRAKER
Declares Man who Once Hernlded
HIN ns DnshinE Polar Artist
80 ne UuwnAhed and
Unprincipled.


NEW YORK. Dec. 26-By Implication ac-
cusing Knud Rasmussen, the Danish eX-
plorer. Of STOPPING to the depths OF a
literary muckraker to get public attention
DR. Frederick A. Cook. the Brooklyn eX-
plorer gave out a reply tonight TO Ras-
mussen's attack on him (CoolO, which
was published on November g. last.
Incidental to his defense Of his own mar
rative OF Artic exploration, DR.. Cook says
that by Rasmussen's methods OF inNesu-
I eating. Robert +. Peary could with equal
ease be discredited, but declares that he
will take Mr. Pearys word IN preference
to either that OF Rasmussen OF the Es-
kimos in the matter OF his own accom-
plishments."
] Rasmussens attack on Cook was sent by
! him to his wife in Copenhagen and by her
made public It contained what purported
to be statments from Cooks two Eskimo
companions in his north polar quest
Itukusuk and Apilak. Rasmussen said he
did not talk personally with the Eskimos
but their statements were taken by two
missionaries who were working in the
country from which Or. Cook said he
started for the pole.
| RasmuHsen's story.
These stories were IN brief:
|
with eight sledges in February, slept once
on the ice on the way to Ellesmere land
and took four days to cross that land,
Eighteen days out all but the two Esklmos
left The nineteenth Gay they changed
their course westward. Later Apilak came
upon Dr. Cook drawing a map. He asked
him 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 a long way out
at sea where we had never been"
The EslSimo's statement continued that
the party finally reached Cape Seldom and
wIntered there; that Dr. Cook spent most
OF the time writing, and at first sight OF
the sun they started home; that the ex-
plorer promised them a good reward, but
we aid not get the guns he promised us.
He gave us only knife, some matches and
a useless boat"
Comment of the Explorer.
Commenting on this report Rasmussen
said
"I regard the report as absolutely au-
thentlc."
In his statement, given out tonight, Dr..
Cook answers cptegorically the statements
imputed TO the Eskimo boys, denying each
in turn and giving reasons why he thinks
they should be considered false; declares
that Rasmussen had reason to dislike him
Cook; SAYS no effort was made to get
at the truth in the alleged examination OF
the two boys. but that, on the contrary
they were piled with leading questions, de-
signed to evolve the answers desired, and
points out what he terms the well-known
trait Of all Indians to give answers which
they believe will please their questioners.
DR.. Cook says Rssmussen's reputation
as an Arctic sledge traveller rests upon
a tourney from Tassuasak to Cape York
This trip" he says, (which is truly q
wonderful one, was but a stop on my re-
turn journey, occupying only three and one
half days. and II Is covered by one sen
tence ending my narrative"
Rasmussen's reason to be hostile to him
the Brooklyn explorer finds In snut
which he was compelled TO administer tc
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 a strong stencil
, of train oil. He and the Dane became
"chummy" at once and he said to Mr.
Bradley: 1--WE must invite Rasmussen &c
dinner" Bradley, he says replied: mo
for Gods sake, no! will get seasick
from that odor."
The result was, DIR. Cook says, that hi
asked the captain to take the Dane tc
his mess and Rasmussen has good reason
| to take this treatment as q snub.
One Last Dig.