The San Francisco call., 1910-12-01
DR.COOK ADMITS
HE DIDN'T KNOW
WHAT HE FOUND
Half Crazed by Privations and
Couldn't Swear That He
Reached North Pole
Says Arctic Is Region of In
sanity Where Evidence of
Own Eyes Is False

NEW YORK, Nov. 30.-Dr. Frederick
A Cook the Brooklyn explorer, in an
article that viii be published in Hamp-
toms magazine, confesses that he does
not know whether he reached the
north pole. DR.. Cook. who has been in
hiding for more than a year, has in
formed the editors of the magazine
publishing his story that he will return
to the United States with his wife and
children December % in order to spend
Christmas here.
Doctor Cook, in his story, deals with
the psychology of his adventures and
says:
did get to the north pole? Per-
haps / made \ mistake in thinking that
I did. Perhaps l did not make mis-
take. After mature thought [ confess
that ] do not know absolutely whether
I reached the pole or not. This may
come as an amazing statement, but
am willing to startle the world If by
so doing 1 can get an opportunity TO
present my case
by my case I mean not my case as
a geographical discoverer, but my case
as man. Much as the attainment of
the north pole once meant to me, the
sympathy and confidence of my fellow
men mean more.
WILL TELL ALL
Fully, freely and frankly shall tell
you everything; tell you everything
and leave the decision with you. If,
after reading my story, you say, Cook
is sincere and honest; half crazed by
months of isolation and hunger, he be-
neved he reached the pole; he is not
= = T chs ha ed
DR.. Cook tells the story of his life
and pictures what he calls the over
powering ambition for exploration that
beset him and finally eliminated in his
effort to reach the pole. Cook declares
that at the time he convinced himself
he had discovered the pole he was half
mad He spent two years in his quest
and during that time endured hunger
and privation that, he says, would un-
balance any mind.
The explorer states that it would be
impossible for any man TO demonstrate
beyond question that he had been to
the north pole. He characterizes the
artic as a region of insanity, where
one can not believe the evidences gath
cred by ones own eyes.
WAS BEWILDERED
He said he had always looked on the
discovery Of the pole as an achieve
ment for his own personal satisfaction,
for the satisfaction of a craving and
desire that was greater than any other
factor in his life. When he found how
tremendous a sensation his statement
that he had attained the pole created.
he was overcome with bewilderment.
Or. Cook then tells the story of the
days in COQenhsge and later in New
J York and of the crisis in his life that
caused his flight from New York and
his voluntary exile from the United
States. The explorer says that not
the fact that he was fol-
lowed by the shrewdest newspa permen
in the world day after day and that
sums ranging upward of several thou
sands of dollars were offered for a clew
as TO his whereabouts he has never
worn 2 disguise and has never taken
any unusual precautions to conceal his
identity Part of the time, he says, his
wife has been with him and part of the
time his children
. DR.. Cook and his wife are now in
Europe and the children are in a con-
vent in France.
Most Of the time during his exile DR..
Cook has been in London. He saws he
has gone about among Americans there
with the utmost freedom and at times
has registered under his own name
and that only a few have guessed his
4uSlLAlE- ILVSc W no QlQ guess [, Dr.
Cook says, were turned away with ease
by the remark, Why, 1 have been told
that before"
WANTS TO RETURN
With the opportunities for thought
that his exile has given him-Dr Cook
says he never even had time to sleep
more than three or four hours between
his arrival at Copenhagen and his dis
appearance in New York-he has found
growing stronger and stronger the de-
sire to return to his own country, to
be understood by his own people. He
realizes better than any one else the es-
TEEN in which he was held.
7 have been called the great test liar
postor in history" says DR. Cook. "I
believe that in every undesirable way
I stand unique, the object Of such sus-
picion and vituperation as have assailed
few men"
With this realization, DR. Cook wrote
his story and says that to him the
honor of discovering the north pole no
longer means anything.
The publishers Of the article issued
a statement tonight that nowhere in
his narrative does DR.. Cook cast any
reflections on Peary or question Peary's
claims.
PEARY MAKES NO COMMENT
WASHINGTON, Nov 3o.-Robert E.
which the National Geographic society
pole, declined today to make any COM