The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-02-15
SEVERE CRITIC
 TACKLES PEARY .Exp'orsr Receives Medal and Criticism ihB Same Da] MAY 60 ID THE SOUTH POLE
 
Italian oxraphicsI Society ConfeyS lIeS pom Pesry, While Captain
 e1 Tn of the Arctic Club of
 merica Condemns Him.

n IlilB lOB, Y cUi -itOpcAL iA- discoverer of the north pole, had U 6 unique experience today of being D red by foreign scientific society
 vituperated by fellow explorer and
 ntryman. It was announced that Con gress may supply funds with which the American who has been farthest north may lead the American explorers into the Antarctic seas to lay clatn to terri tory discovered nearly 1eO years ago by another intrepid American, and over which no flag has yet been flown.
 The Italian Geographical society is the organization which has conferred the dec oration on Commander Peary. In a ca blegram received by MT. Peary tonight from Marquis Cappeli, president of the society, the latter says:
 "Council Italian Geographical society awarded you King Humbert gold medal on account of your long successful at tempts to reach the north pole. Silver medal Captain Bartlett. Please wire if accept Invitation lecture Rome May after London"
 Commander Peary promptly replied that he was highly honored and that he ae- cepted the medal. He withheld his ae- ceptance of the invitation to speak in Rome, however. He is in a measure subject now to the orders of the navy departme-t.
 Secretary Meyer, on whom the offl- cer called today, announced that if II was decided to have Commander Peary head the expedition that will lay claim to Wilkesland on behalf of the United States. President Taft would probably ask Congress to provide sufficient funds for the carrying out of the expedition.
 Wilkesland lies far down in the Ant arctic and was discovered early in the Nineteenth century by Charles Wilkes, an American naval officer. It has never been considered of enough commercial or strategic importance to warrant it's alta chment by this government and for like reasons no other country has cast covetous eyes on if. In view of, the ins srest now attach ing to the search Cor tife south pete it suddenly has become of importance. Neither Secretary Meyer nor Com- mander Peary would divulge the na- ture of their conference which occu- pied more than an hour. It is not im- probable that the secretary explained to his caller the reasons for the de- feat in Congress of the attempt to have the explorer retired with tho rank and pay of a rear admiral.
 The House committee on naval affairs which voted down the proposition has eceived a number of letters condemna- tory and otherwise on the action taken. One was received from Captain Osborn. president of the Arctic Club of Amer lea, today which is bitter in the ex- trerne. Captain Osborn. who cham pioned the cause of Dr. Cook in the recent Peary and Cook controversy, dic not mince words in denouncing Mir. Peary and attributed to him Attractions of pra actically all of the rules of de- cency and good taste.
 Ca ptain Osborn says in his letter:
 ".rhe action of the subcommittee on naval affairs in the matter of Civil Engineer Robert E. Perry--not Peary, for that is an assumed name de serves the heartiest commendation of every American citizen who values jus tice and respects the United States navy.
 "To have given this selfish egotist. this bragEart. the rank of rear ad- miral, would be a foul blot on the rec- e.rds of Congress and an insult to the navy of the United States. It would nave 0lSBOSIeu InlillOHS UT our cltJZeHS who have no confidence In this alleged pole hunter and arctic fur trader and story teller, who for nearly a quarter of century has been living off the people and sailing under q naval rank to which he has no legal right and for which he sh hould have been se- verely reprimanded by the navy de- partmenti long ago"
 Another letter from Portland, Me, the home of MT. Peary written by an executive officer in the naval re- serve of that state, says:
 < Tt should be gratifying to all think ing citizens that there is group of men in Washington who, while ready suitably and generously to recognize the distinguish ed achievements of MT. Peary, refuse to be actuated or in iuenced by fanatical sentiinentalism."
 Another letter from Boston takes the committee to task for its course and says: .'-Hat.i '.
 Your amazing statements about Lieutenant Peary seem incomprehen- sible. All. nations are waiting on the United States by. courtesy before show erng honors on Peary.. Herschel was knighted for finding Uranus, thous- and million miles farther away from the north pole and many thousand times more useless by your code"