New-York tribune., 1910-04-26
NEAWAY ROUSES PEARY
fyuIorer at Luncheon Defends
Course Against Cock.
GALS FOR EUROPE TO-DAY
,ac,ares the Stand He Took on
Returning to Civilization Is
Unchanged.

~ che eve % his departure on the steam
rr,orn-snzessin Cecilie to-day Cor Eu-
v.,ere he Is TO receive honors az the
- ~ many geographical and other So
- Commander Robert r. Peary re-
'-,.-ted his position regarding Dr. Fred
- Cook and the North Pole contro-
- IN a speech which he delivered yes
- afternoon At n luncheon in the
o-ootlyn Club. al which he was the guest
= honor. and William Berrt. proprietor or
.-ss Rrorklyn STANDARD Union" the host
.ho,,, seventy-five others attended the
...seon. They included justices OF The
s.,-en,e Court and the Appellate Division
"a number Of the men who have accom-
.a-,ea the explorer on his expeditions. Ono
= fhese was Captain Robert A Bartlett
\ ne Roosevelt
commander Peary was the last of the
.lcers Before he arose Mr. Berrf, who
..s acting as toastmsster. initiated him
-, the Pocket Piece Club" and presented
AZ, with a SO gold piece. The guests re-
,s,yed the commander with cheers, stand
,e and waving American flags.
IF I had been initiated in this club be-
,ore LEFT on my last expedition the ex-
,,orer SAID L might have been able 10 ger
Peary on Cook Affair.
T,-ning 10 consideration Of the Cook
,-ssode which had been suggested by the
,,eech of Dr McKelway. Commander Peary
SAID
Z Suppose that even my friends did not
v-asp the circumstances as they were upon
Nv return 10 civilization. Three weeks he
so-e got back had the fullest informa-
,ian Of what had been done by another in
ne Arctic regions. and when and where
,rs what would be claimed by this man
The telegTams that sent which caused
-rnsderasEe criticism OF me were sent de-
ineratelv and after full consideration. I
knew that a deliberate attempt was 10 oc
made 70 defraUd the country. morally and
financially and as an officer Of the United
states navy felt that must give warn
inr in order that I might escape a charge
NJ being an accessory 10 the crime. NV
position is stin unchanged, and it cannot be
changed.
The attainment OF the pole was unique
r was final and very few things are final
I, was the climax and completion Of fouf
hundred years OF history. There probably
rever existed in history a thing so int
rately associated with every civilized ns-
ton. from every point Of view. historical.
sentimental poetic. To-eay we have IL.
and that is not due TO any superiority Of
myself or my party 10 others who had tried
to reach the pole. There were three things
that aided us-experence. answering faith
and loyalty OF friends. Bridgman, Berii.
scheren and the president of the Peary
Arctic Club. and the loyal courage and sand
Of every member Of my party. These won
for the United States the trophy Of the
centuries.
Typioally American.
1T vas only on the next 10 the last ex-
pedition that We had any definite knovl-
edge Of conditions that prevailed there
which made il probable that the condt ions
were different at the pole than at the edge
Of the polar sea. But when we knew the
conditions within one hundred miles Of the
pole there was not one chance in a hun
ored that conditions would be different in
the remainder Of the journey. ] felt on
my way home that the combination of cir
ounstsnoes on the last trip, taken on the
whole. made the thing typically and char
scterisucally an American accomplishment.
! regret that there is some difference OF
opinion regarding the expedition"
Justice Frederick Z. Crane. Of the Su-
pnene Court, read a poem by Lambert r
Thomas. entitled "Peary at the Pole" Dr.
ST. Clair KelWay followed. saying:
There has never been any doubt of his
word There has been doubt OF the word
q another 10 the same effect. and that
doubt was weiinigh universal in England
and on the Continent when I was there.
The confidence in the words OF Mr.. Peary
hos m ,as l,.,
than once tried 10 reach the North Pole
and had every time practically admitted
and clearly explained why he had not done
s. lie tried and tried again until he got
there The result is that the world knows
thar be got there. and that all efforts Of
others 10 get there have been abandoned.
snd that Nr. Peary's success is accepted
a. one OF the great achievements. one Of
the few grand hnalities. Of human en-
deav0r
lie may not be the most suave and
sniable man in the world. He may be
stern. eEactive, percnptOry. but the Lord
mace him as he is. A great purpose. great
ehort and q great success inspired the
raw material Of Pearyism % accomplish
the Finished product OF PealEism in ex-,
plorauon. and ] am confident. no matter
Who else Is not"
When Captain Bartlett was called upon,
as The second best man Of the expedition
70 make a speech. be said he was not an
orator. hut that the Lord had made him
seafaring man. lie took issue with Dr.
Acke.Tay regarding the explorers char
scter He insisted that NJ Pearv was not
stern and peremptory. but that he had held
ne expedition together by his power over
men. and that his management OF the af-
tsirE - the expedition could not have been
possible 10 any other
Controller Prendergast said that Mr.
FearT was real man, and that he had
aiisiLed for himself a substantial piece
n history. He suggested that he miEnt be-
cone greater man II he could discover a
Way 10 give all the people Of The city al
they wanted other speakers were Presi-
cent Alexander Gilbert of the Clearing
House Association and President William
D. Porter of the Chemical National Bank.
rp rynLFr