Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-27
EGAN DEFENDS COOK
Minister to Denmark Believes
Explorer Honest.
AppEAREn tn RE- MnnEST
APPEARED TO BE MODEST
Incidents of Copenhagen Reception
Told at University Club.
SECRETARY LONsDALE QUOTED
Diplomat Recalls the Fact That Re-
mark Was Made That Brooklyn
Man Was "Half Mad"

| 81 shall believe that DIR. Cook, the
explorer. is an honest man until there
is definite proof to the contrary" Or.
Maurice F. Egan, minister to Denmark.
declared to the members OF the Uni
versity Club last night. DIR. Egan was
the first American citizen to greet DR.
Cook upon his arrival at Copenhagen
from his trip in the arctic.
The statement followed the explana :
ton by Minister Egan that the Danish
board which passed on DR.. Cooks rec
ords has simply declared that the rec
ords furnished them by DIR. Cook were
not sufficient to enable them to say he
had been to the north pole. He also
explained that letters to him recently
indicate that fully half OF the people of
Denmark still believe that DIR. Cook
will prove himself honest.
Sidelights on DR.. Cook.
| Minister Egan gave many interesting
sidelights on Dr. Cook in the course of
his address at the University Club,
based upon the incidents of the eX-
plorer's reception in the Danish capi-
tai.
| The opinion of Lon nsdale, who acted
as DR.. Cooks secretary until the ex-
plorer disappeared, was one of tEe
Interesting features of the lecture
Minister Egan said he asked Ions
| dale what DR.. Cooks mental condition
was when Lonsdale left him TO take
| the records from New York to Copen-
hagen.
| Hes half mad" Lonsdale said, ac-
lcording 10 Minister Egan. He is OBJ
Isessed with the idea that he Is going
Ito be assa assinated."
| DIR. Cooks disappearance followed
shortly after Lonsdale said he was IN
this condition.
/ DR.. Egan's talk on Dr. Cook was
spontaneous. In introducing the
lspeaker. Claude n. Bennett, chairman
LOT the entertainment committee, re-
Iferred to the many honors which have
lcome TO DR.. Egan as teacher, 2
lwriter, poet, "a Christian iaynlan and
"a diplomat.
| He forgot one of the attributes, which
/ I think l ought to MENTION, remarked
DR.. Egan, with twinkle in his eye. He
ought to have said / was the man who
discovered DIR. Cook"
| Minister Egan began by announcing
| that he had no outlined remarks, and
asked what the members wished to hear
about.
"Dr. Cook" came from the back of the
room. And DR.. Cook became the subject
of the discourse.
!! Duties of Minister.
| DIR. Egan prefaced his account of the
| reception of DR.. Cook in Copenhagen by
| an explanation of his own duties in the
Ipremises AS the American minister, he
said, he was obliged to be hospitable to
/ any American citizen who came to the
| Danish capital. To cast doubt on the
word of an American citizen would have
been un-American. in DR.. Egans opinion
AFTER the news had been received, he said
| he looked up DR.. Cooks record, found
there was nothing against it publicly,
that he belonged to several clubs of good
standing and seemed to stand we'll as an
explorer And no intimation came to him
at the time from any American scientist
| that DIR. Cooks integrity should be ques-
| toned
| Not that it would have made any diff
| ference in my course, unless the charge
was one that carried proof with it, he
| commented.
/ Upon hearing that the Crown Prince OF
Denmark, as president of the Royal Geo
graphical Society, was to meet the ex-
plorer, Minister Egan decided to go with
the party of representatives from the So
ciety.
Had an Honest Face.
He had an honest face. If it were not
clever commented DR.. Egan. describing
Ills ufSC 1TGDT6SSlOu OF TIE AlC
he was always very modest"
The popular reception given Dr. Cook
on the dock was described as a great ova-
ton. Children of Denmark, DR.. Egan ex-
planned, are told stories of north pole ex-
| petitions just the same as American chill
dren are taught the story of George
] Washington and the cherry tree. So the
| Danes turned out in hordes to greet the
/ Some one in the crowd got one of his
| cuffs" remarked the minister. Then
| pieces of his clothes were torn off. He
| was being disintegrated by relic hunters.
| so that his personal appearance became
almost improper"
| Minister Egan reiterated several times
| during his talk that the Danish govern
| ment did nothing officially to acknowledge
DR.. Cook as the discoverer of the north
pole. He was presented to the king and
| later dined with the royal family, it was
/ explained, but both functions were en-
| tirely informal. There was no suggestion
| by the king that he should decorate the
| explorer.
! An Interesting Coincidence.
At noon of the third day after DIR.
| Cooks arrival. Minister Egan said, DIR.
Cook dined with him, and during the
course of that conversation DR.. Cook re-
| marked that Commander Peary would
| soon return from his trip. He expressed
the belief that Peary would be successful
In his latest attempt to reach the top of
| the world and would be heard from with
| in a short time.
"At night of that day the news came
| that Peary had returned from a trip to
the pole" commented Minister Egan. Il
| think that is an interesting coincidence. "
i After the talk Minister Egan was ques-
| tjoned hy a DhvSican who was present
as to whether certain symptoms mani
! tested by DR.. Cook did not indicate ner-
tous disorders. The minister replied that
he saw no evidences of such trouble and
said that DIR. Cook was most phlegma tic
Even when the news came that Com
| mander Peary had charged him with be-
] ing a ".faker.' DR. Cook took it quietly
and remarked that Mr. Peary was ex-
/ cited.