Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-10
PEARY GIVES REASON
Tells Why He Took No White
Man on Final Polar Dash.
HATED TO SHARE HONOR
Voice Shakes as He Answers Query
of Representative Roberts.


north pole. I expended something of my
self. my money and my life. l went
through such hell and suffering as
hope no man i'm this room may ever ex-
perience. / did not feel that | was call
ed upon to divide my honors with any
man. however able or deserving. who had
put only a few years of his life into the
work and who did not have the same
right to the honor OF discovery that
felt had
This was the answer made by Civil En-
gineer Peary, L. s. N, to a question
asked him today, at the hearing before
the House committee on naval affairs,
as to why he did not take white man
with him TO the pole, so that his COM
panion, upon returning to civilization,
could corroborate Peary's story.
Representative Ernest w. Roberts Of
Massachusetts,. who led the opposition I'm
have Congress, by legislative action, be-
stow suitable reward on the explorer,
asked the question.
In answering it Mr.. Peary was not his
lying idly on the edge of the table
clenched until the knuckles whitened, and
his voice shook bit as he replied.
Mr.. Roberts Speaks Plainly.
Mr.. Roberts didn't mince words in put
ting the question.
Mr.. Peary,' he said. why didn't you
take a white man to the north pole, sc
that there could be some credible corrobo.
ration of your statement that you discov-
cred the pole?''
81 have no objection to answering
that question" said the explorer. with
one exception, / have always made my
final squirt with one man, and then
Eskimos. That one exception was when
Lee crossed the Greenland ice cap with
me. The reason / took Henson with me
on the last expedition was that he
was more effective for the extend
ed work necessary than any white
man l ever saw. In addition to
I had devoted my life. ! had expended
something OF myself. my money and
my life. In my attempts to attain 1t
went through such he'll and such
suffering as ! hope no man in this
room may ever experience. 1 did not
feel that / was called upon to divide
my honors with any man, however able
and deserving, who had put only few
years of his life into the work. and
who did not have the same right to the
honor OF discovering that / felt / had.
Bartlett Wanted to Go.
Then Mr.. Roberts asked the explorer if
Capt. Bartlett had not been anxious to
accompany him on the last lap of the
memorable journey.
NO man on the expedition" replied Mir.
Peary, had any reason to believe that
he would go to the pole. Each man was
distinctly told before he left New York
that he could not count on 1t. although
circumstances might be such that l might
have to call on one OF them. Bartiett
never had any reason to expect that he
could go. At Cape Columbia told Bart
lett that hoped he would get beyond the
mark of. Abruzzi. On the last march we
made together Bartlett said, Commander
l would like to go all the way
II replied, Bartlett, there is no man IN
the world ] would like to have with me
YOU turn back at the next camp
Mr.. Roberts then asked Mr.. Peary II
in selecting his men for the trip ne had
imposed upon them an injunction OF Sc
erecy.
The explorer replied that all the menu
bers of the party under him were under
contract not to write or lecture about
what they saw and heard without per-
mission.
But all of the members of the party
are now authorized to lecture ABOUT the
trip" Mr.. Peary added.
Discusses Speed on Return.
The explorer placed special emphasis
on the fact that his final expedition was
the climax of years of effort in that d.
rection. Discussing the speed made by
his party on the return trip from the pole,
Mr.. Peary declared that his own ex-
perience was similar to the return trips
of the supporting parties.
Mcmillan covered seven poleward
marches in four return trips. Bartlett, in
going back reduced twenty-five poleward
marches to thirteen. Peary covered twenr
ty-seyen outward marches in sixteen on
the way back from the pole.
Representative Englebright of Califor-
mia today filed with the naval committee
statements from the War Department
and the Post Office Department with
reference to sledge dogs utilized in Alas
ka. 1t was asserted in these statements
that the dogs in question covered a great
deal more ground than was claimed by
Mr.. Peary for his dogs
Mr. Peary will continue his testimony
before the committee tomorrow morning.
1t is expected that he then will be ques-
toned at length.