The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1913-02-14

In the annals of Arctic exploration
there is nothing to compare with the
case of DIR. Cook. He has been ac
claimed and honored: he has been
denounced and condemned He has
been hailed as the first man to pene-
trate the frozen North to the axle
of the earth, as the first to reach the
aBig Nail'' of the Eskimos. Then,
DIR. Cook has been denounced as 6the
most colossal liar in history" as he
says himself.
The career of DR.. Cook since his
claim to Arctic honors first thrilled
the world is too well known to need
discussion here. 1t is enough to say
that he was the center of the most
sensational conflict ever known and
that he, himself, now feels that he
must defend his achievements. 1t is
not in the province of this article to
espouse the cause of DIR. Cook, but
it cannot be amiss to give something
of what the explorer has to say. He
is now making lecture tour of the
United States, giving from the stage
his version of his case
For Current Features DR.. Cook has
prepared an article which deals with
what he calls the "Polar Contro-
versy,' starting with the time he and
his two Eskimo companions started
back from the top of the earth:
"On the return journey our diff
culties were even greater than on the
upward march. The ice began to
break and separate; there was open
water with continuous fogs. With
determine the drift of the ice under
our feet. We were carried uncon-
sciously far to the west and south
of our course, and, when skies finally
cleared and we got an observation,
we found ourselves away down in
Crown Prince Gustav Sea. After d
long and tedious journey, with starv-
alton staring us in the face, we
finally reached Jones Sound. and here,
on Cape Sparbo, we stayed through.
out another long winter night. We
ate the meat of the musk-ox and
for clothing. We spent the winter in
an old cave. Early in March we
started for the long return march tc
our Greenland camp. After many de
tours, to avoid open water, and many
narrow escapes from starvation, we
finally got back to our Greenland
camp and here we saw for the frs
faces except our own. Here will
their people I left my two Eskimo
companions, splendid, faithful, helpful
manly fellows they had beeni The,
had gone with ME to the Pole ant
back, had suffered all of the torture
I had suffered, had endured all tn
hardships nncomplainingly, not TO
money. not for honor-for they can
not appreciate either-but simply be
cause they wished to be useful to on
whom they choose to call friend
They deserve just as much credit a
I do for the result of the expedition
and I want you to remember then
to remember their names: Ah-we-la
and E-tuk.i.shook.
"Now we were back to our Greer
land camp; we were half starved, q
most unable to walk. We NATURAL
looked around for something to ca
especially fren our own school. Blu
sad to sey, during ous absence SOM
one else came aleAg and took ths
camp, took everything we had in Il
north world, This brings us to Il
first chapter of what is known as Il
Polar Controversy.
ssTwo months after I had reaeh'
the Pole, two big ships started NOR
FOR the Pole. They went north wi
the usual press bombast At abo
the same time my companion. K
dolph FRANKIE, who had been left
Greenland to guard my supplies, "
sick. He was in desperate shape;