The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-01-11
TELLS WHY
HE WENT TO THE
POLE ALONE
Explorer Wanted All the Glory
for Himself
SAYS HE HAD EARNED IT
Made No Chart Of His Route and
Says Pole Is Just as Much Lost
AS Ever

Washington. Jan 1l.-Captain Rob
ert r. Peary, declined to let any white
man of his party accompany him on
the final dash, to the Pole because he
wanted all the glory of the achieve
ment for himself He had earned It,
he told the House committee on naval
affairs yesterday, at the continuation
of the hearing into his discovery and
did not feel that he should divide the
glory with another.
The explorer admitted the North
Pole is just as much lost as ever and
that all future enterprises to find it
must be independent enterprises UNI
aided by his own work.
Captain Peary was asked TO throw
! light on why, as a naval officer, he
made no report to the navy depart
ment. Mr.. Roberts asked him IL it
was not customary for an officer to
report on matters for which he was
detailed. Captain Peary said he had
made some report TO the coast and
geodetic survey and had advised the
navy department of that fact. 1t was
his impression that the superintend-
ent Of the survey had made a report
to the navy. Pressed by Mr. Roberts
| Captain Peary said there was a let
ter OF his on file somewhere asking
secrecy for his written report to the
survey as TO the soundings.
why, being detailed to get certain
information for the government, did
you ask the government not to use
the information until later?" insisted
Mr.. Roberts. Il would rather not
lgive the information except to the
committee replied Captain Peary,
who objected to testifying in the pres
lence of newspaper reporters. He
was given permission to file his rea.
son in writing.
why did you not take white mem
bers of your party with you on the
final stage of your trip northward, so
that there might be credible corrob-
oratiye evidence?' asked Representa-
Tive Roberts OF Massachusetts. I'm
the first place" replied Captain Peary
Il have always made the final squirt
Win bAt IANtHtlOhf WilttA A4lC Mdr
with me. with one man and the Eski
mo, because the man | took with me
(Henson) was more effective for com
bined demands Of extended work than
any white man. The Pole was some
thing to which | have devoted my life
for which | had gone through such
Lell as | hope no man in this room
will ever experience, and | did not
feel that | should divide II with q
young man who had not the right tc
ii that | had"
Captain PeaTy was asked by Mr.
Roberts II any Injunction Of secrecy
had been made as TO what members
OF the expedition might say He re
piled that members OF his party were
not free to write or lecture after theil
return except with his written per
mission, explaining that they were
paid for their services. Mr.. Macor
OF Arkansas interiected that Captain
Peary also was paid for his services
through the salary paid him as ma
val officer.
b Captain Peary, replying to repeated
Questions as TO the results OF his Arc
tic trip; said that he had not yet pre-
lpared such chart as would enable
any one to follow In his footsteps Il
the Pole, but he "imaglned" that h
had data by which he could prepar'
such n chart. He said that the pos
itlon OF the North POE could be de
termined Just the same as the equato
but the trouble was the comparative
ly low altitude OF the sun, which new
er gets higher than % IL degree
above the horizon. For that reasol
e ordinary observations could not b
relied on with accuracy.