The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-26
Prisoners Released
DR. COOK REPLIES TO ATTACKS
 MADE BY RASMUSSEN
CONTINUED FROM PAGE n

CONTINUED FROM PAGE n ~~-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-~ ~~~-~-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ out in vigorous and voluminous reports in my defense. Why did he jump into the Cook bandwagon and shout if he had doubts?
 "False Statements"
 Tn the story which it is alleged came through two missionaries, Rasmussen puts the following phrases into the mouths of my Eskimo boys, We travelled from Annatook with eight sledges in company with Dr. Cook CThere were Ii sledges-false statement No. 1) From there to Ellsmere land we slept only once. eve slept several nights before we reached Flagler bay-false statement No. 2)
 Eighteen days out our companions left us.' The last companions left us S2 days out. (False statement No. 3.)
 The nineteenth day we changed our course westward To have done so would have necesstated crossing the impossi- bio mountains of rock and ice of Heiberg island. (Fase statement No A
 We stopped at open water near land If so the returning Eskimos would have reported 1t. The nearest water to land was at the big lead 100 miles off where land was but a blue haze on the horizon. (False statement No. 5)
 Belief of Eskimos
 All those false statements. says the doc tor, would have been found false by put ting a few questions to the older men of the supporting party, but it was not done, although there were half dozen men who could have affirmed or denied the boys story. Even MT. Pearys state ments, says pr. Cook, contradict these assertions. The Eskimos believe in fiat earth, continued Dr. Cook, and they cannot understand a map of the mid polar basis, where all meridians meet. They are good map makers of familiar hunting grounds of small areas, but that is all.
 He continues:
 "The meanest slur which Rasmussen throws is that of cheating the boys. They were promised knife and gun. They were paid before we started. Therefore Rasmussen's charge Is as false as the whole fabric of his mission weaving but instead of keeping to my promise, I gave them many more things and i'm structed Mir. Whitney to turn over all my belongings to them when he left. It is, therefore, in the power of Whitney to say whether I cheated the Eskimos or not. And, if Rasmussen is wrong on this baseless charge, can he be believed in anything else?
 Missionaries Criticized Dr. Cook, turning his attention to the missionaries through whom, it is alleged Rasmussen obtained the Eskimo boys statement, explains that they were half bred Eskimo Christians, who were quite unable to make themselves understood by the Eskimos to whom they preached, and yet these same missionaries are credited with sufficient intelligence to cross-ex- anime the Eskimo boys about something which they themselves do not under | stand?"
 l pr. Cook says in conclusion: | During all of last winter Rasmussen | travelled through Denmark on lecture | tour, and in his discourse he has vigor- ously defended Peary. For years Ras- mussen has heaped all kinds of abuse on Peary, most of it not fit to print There | is something irrational about Rasmus- sens public utterances.
 "The only rational explanation for Ras- mussens irrational course is to credit him with an ambition to get into the | imelight, for he first jumps without in- vitation on the Cook band wagon; when | the music stops he joins the rebound of the shouting press; then, out of job, he runs to the Peary band wagon; again, when the music stops he joins the noisy anti Peary knockers. hope the outcome has given him the publicity which he has aimed for. But, need an explorer stoop