The Washington herald., 1910-03-10

! BY an almost unanimous vote. the sub
| committee of the House Committee on
Naval Affairs which has been considering
the bills proposing to reward Civil Engi-
/ neer Peary for his discovery of the pole,
decided yesterday TO postpone all action
until Mr.. Peary submits his original rec
ords and proofs TO Congress for public
scrutiny.
The resolution to this effect, which was
adopted by the subcommittee, was offered
by Representative Bates, Of Pennsylvania.
who has heretofore been considered a
! supporter Of the explorer. Representa-
tives Butler. of Pennsylvania. chairman
OF the subcommittee. Roberts OF Massa-
chusetts. Dawson OF Iowa. Macon of Ar
kansas. and Gregg of Texas. voted to
postpone. The only dissenter was Repre-
sentative Englebright, Of Wisconsin, who
stOutly contended that the subcommittee
had sufficient proofs on which to base
action in recognition Of Mr. Peary's
! achievement. However. Mr.. Englebright
did not vote against tbs adoption of the
| resolution.
Mr.. Macon issued a long statement on
the subject lie has been in politics since
manhood. and prior to coming to Wash
ington his -ferthest north" was the sunk
lands" region Of Arkansas.
Cites DIR. Cock.
IN opposing the reward bills, Mr.. Macon
attempted to discredit Mr.. Peary's claim.
and cited statements Of DR.. Cook in sup
port OF his position.
II think that all legislation by Con
gross" said Mr.. Macon in his statement.
ought to be open and above board, and
that the people ought to be fully advised
Of every detail and fact upon which the
Representatives predicate their every act.
/ confess that I am exceedingly skeptical
about Mr.. Peary ever having discovered
the pole. and I am going to protest
against any honor being conferred upon
him by Congress until he establishes be-
yond reasonable doubt that he did dis
cover 1t. and it must be established in
the open. and not I'm the dark
zone of the points to which I desire
TO cali your attention specifically is the
speed Of travel claimed by Peary from
the very day that Capt. Bartlett left him
until he returned to the same camp
again, and thence on to Cape Columbia,
and especially TO the speed he claims
to have made from the time he left Capt.
Bartlett until he again returned to the
same spot. when ne was travelling over
unknown seas with HIS negro valet and
Eskimo companions
IN his travels from Cape Columbia to
the point where Capt Bartlett left him
and returned, he Travelled thirty-one days
and made 2S1 miles. or an average Of SOS
miles per day. This was not as good an
average Of miles OF travel as made By DR..
Cook Q5.O in the same ATTITUDES.
increases Singular.
''The astonishing part Of Mr.. Peary's
statement is. however. the number Of
miles he says he Travelled every day after
Bartlett had left him, when no white man
was with him as witness. his only com
pani0n being his valet OF twenty years
service. and four Eskimos; and his great
est marches singularly. were all north
Of the Bartlett camp. From that time
forward. going to the pole and returning to
Cape Columbia (545 miles, he claims to have
made an average Of twenty-six miles per
day, or. 10 be accurate. 2s.4 per day for
five days, until he reached the pole q92
miles, and Il miles per day from the pole
back TO Bartiett's camp QS2 miles. three
days.. and 2LS for sixteen days from the
pole back to Cape Columbia C4l3 miles,.
the latter being almost three times as
great an average as he made with his
supporting party. The greatest increase
singularly commences on the very day
they left and practically ends on identi.
cally the same spot"