The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1911-01-26
PEARY DID NOT
FIND THE POLE
MISSED IT az MILE AND A HALF,
SAYS CONGRESSIONAL
COMMITTEE.
TAFT PLANS TO F0RTIFY PANAMA
So Declares in Speech at New York
Senatorial Popular Election Bill
Strikes a Hard
Snag.

Washington, Jan. 23.-That Captain
Robert E. Peary came within 1.6 miles
of the north pole-near enough to es-
tablish his claim of having been at
the exact spots the decision of the
house committee on naval affairs,
which has been considering the bill to
retire Captain Peary with the rank of
rear admiral.
The basis of the committees finding
is the chart prepared by Hugh G.
Mitchell and G. R. Duvall of the Unit
ed States coast and geodetic survey and
based On Peary's observations. This
chart shows that Peary went to the
left on nearing the pole, due to an
error in his instruments. Later he
crossed toward the pole, his nearest
point being 1.6 miles. Representative
Bates of Tennessee presented the ma.
jority report of the committee recon-
mending that Peary be retired with
the rank of a e a admiral.
A minority report submitted by Rep
resentative Roberts of Massachusetts
does not question Captain Peary's per-
Torrance, but arraigns the National
Geographic society's committee, which
he claims, announced its findings after
only a cursory examination of Peary's
proofs.
A fight is certain to develop in the
house over the proposed legislation.
Representative Macon of Arkansas has
indicated that he would oppose it's pas
sage on the floor.
The report pointed out that Captain
Peary was ;tcting under orders from
the navy department when he made
the polar dash. The charges that have
been made that his expedition was a
private one are not borne out, the re-
port stated. by the facts disclosed in
the committees hearings.
The committee made the point also
that Captain Peary's trip was taken
with the express Endorsement of his
| commandments, President Roose-
welt.
Taft Determined to Fortify Canal.
President Taft has begun in earnest
his campaign for the fertilization of
the Panama canal. His entire speech
at the annual banquet of the Pennsyl-
vania society in New York "a devot-
ed to this subject. He has high hopes
that congress at this session will de-
clare in his favor and appropriate S..
000,0 to begin the work.
In the senate, the president has been
told, the sentiment for fertilization is
almost two to one. The house seems
evenly divided, but not on partisan
lines. Most Of the members appear,
however, to be willing to be convinced
by the side that makes the better pre-
sentation of it's case.
In his speech Mr.. Taft said that
there we're absolutely no treaty obliga-
tons in the way Of fortifying the can
al; that the United States had every
right and reason to protect what was
purely an American waterway.
Medal for Mir. Carnegie.
The Pennsylvania dinner was
marked by the presentation to An
drew Carnegie Of the society's gold
medal, awarded annually for "distin-
guished achievement"
Other speakers were Joseph Choate,
former ambassador to Great Britain,
and Governor Dix. Among those at
the presidents table were: Captain
| Robert E. Peary, Attorney General
Wickersham, Governor Tener, Of Penn
| sylvania, Secretary Knox and Charles
D. Norton, secretary to the president.
| Opposition to Senatorial Election Bill.
An interesting situation has devel-
oped with respect to the bill pending
in the senate providing for the constl-
tutional amendment authorizing the
| election of the senators by the people.
Although q majority of the senate
is now in favor of this proposition, in
response to the demands of the PEG.
| pie in many states. there is every iadi.
| cation that the bill will fail in the