Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1910-02-19
BITTER FIGHT
OVER PEARY
Congress May Vote Him Gold
Medal and Thanks.
REFUSED NAVAL PROMOTION

House Committee Turns Down Propo-
sition to Promote Explorer 20 Rear
ADMINISTRATIONS Send Caustle
Letters to Congressman.
Washington. Feb. ia gold medal
and the thanks OF congress Is all that
Commander Robert r. Peary can ex-
pact from congress without a fight A
bill TO this effect was introduced by
Representative Butler, OF Pennsylva-
MIA, chairman Of the sub committee
which reported adversely on the prop
osition TO make the explorer a rear
admiral
The Introduction Of Mr.. Buffers bill
followed meeting OF the naval com
mittee. which endorsed the action OF
the subcommittee IN refusing Mr..
Peary the contemplated promotion.
The whole matter was referred back
10 the subcommittee. however. with
instructions 10 consider II further. It
is stated that the subcommittee will
endorse the Butler bill.
The action of the house committee
In turning down the bin TO advance
Peary has aroused much criticism
among some members of the house.
and the fight over the Butler measure
is apt 90 Doe caustic
In the meanwhile letters are pouring
IN TO Representative Ernest W. Rob.
erts. Of Massachusetts. who took the
lead IN the subcommittee against hon
oring Mr.. Peary by raising his rank
in the navy These letters arc on both
sides OF the question.
The hottest so far Is from Captain
b. $. Osborn OF New York city. who
thinks the subcommittee did the right
thing He is an Arctic and Antarctic
explorer and says he has served three
times in the United States navy. with
some OF the sharpest OF his characteri-
cations Of Mr.. Peary left out the let
ter is as follows:
The action OF the subcommittee on
naval affairs deserves the heartiest
commentator OF every American cit
izcn who values Justice and respects
the United States navy. To have given
this egotist the rank OF rear admiral
would have been a blot on the records
OF congress and an insult 20 the navy
OF the United States. and would have
disguised millions OF our citizens who
have no confidence in this alleged pole
hunter and Arctic fur trader and story
teller. who for nearly a quarter OF a
century has been living OF the people
and sailing under a naval rank to
which he had no legal right and for
which he should have been severely
reprimanded by the navy department
long ago"
A letter from a Boston man gives
the other side OF the question.
Your amazing statement about
Lieutenant Peary." this communal
ton says, seems incomprehensible.
Do You reward only for target prac-
uce. as Dewey at Manila. with men as
targets? All nations are waiting upon
the United States. by courtesy. before
showering honors on Peary. Herschel
was knighted for finding Uranus. one
thousand million miles further away
than the North Pole. and one thousand
million time more useless by your
code.
"Peary endured one thousand times
the hardship to HerscheI II seems
most strange that Massachusetts
should have sent a man 70 congress
so primitive that II is even utterly
useless TO argue with him. just as one
cannot argue with a Zulu about the
value Of radium"
Commander Peary had a conference
with Secretary Meyer at the navy de-
partment after which It was said that
Secretary Meyer had approved a plan
for naval expedition 20 the Ant
arctic regions. But it is not to be q
South Polar expedition, and whether
II is TO be made at all or not depends
upon the manner in which congress
receives the recommendation OF the
secretary.