Las Vegas optic., 1913-08-19

system. III Jue OplhlOh " iSAAopio
Emden to establish settlement on
the west coast of Africa. Emden had
at that time one Of the best hsrpors
on the North Sea, and the elector de
cided to make it the home port of his
4 colonial venture, as well as of his
modest little navy
The undertaking, howeyer,f did not
prosper, and in 1717 Frederick Will
liam I, the father of Frederick the
Great sold the colony to the Dutch
East India company Of Amsterdam. It
finally fell into the hands of England
through the Ashantee war, about 40
years ago.
Retired Officers Puzzle
Although Emperor William is not
now retiring so many officers, in or
der to put younger men in control of
army as he did some, years ago, the
problem of finding suitable positions
for the retired men is still a pressing
one.
Retirements usually occur when the
officers are still in their best years
and still able to give 20 or 30 years
of their lives to civil callings The
new minister of war has sent out a
circular to the chambers Of commerce
of Germany, asking their cooperation
in getting positions for the retired
officers. He claims for them special
fitness for positions of trust and per-
sonal responsibility, and wherever
ability to manage men, rather than
commercial talent, is required.
Expressions on the subject by com
mercial authorities indicate consider
able doubt, in a general way, as to the
fitness of the officers for positions in
commercial and industrial undertake
ings. 1t is felt that most of them are
too old to adapt themselves to the
untried circumstances of business life
while the feeling of superiority, cher
| ished SO fondly by many army officers,
will make it difficult for them to work
on basis of fellowship with men
trained entirely along civil lines
nIs Cook swindler?'
DR.. Frederick A. Cooks claim to
the discovery Of the North Pole is still
of sufficient Importance to enlist the
consideration Of scientific men in Ger
many. One Of these is Professor Otto
Baschin. custodian of the Geographic
institute of the Berlin University
who, in an article headed rs Cook
swindlet?o considers, the Peary-Cook
controversy at considerable length
and concludes that the evidence for
Cooks truthfulness is very strong.
The question Of observations based
upon the suns attitude as method of
determining whether one has reached /
the pole is summarily dismissed by
Professor Baschin as quite unreliable.
The insuffciency Of such observations.
he says, was set forth soon after the
Peary-Cook dispute arose by DR.. A.,
Wedemeyer Of the German Imperial
marine department, an experien I'd
astronomer and navigator, who de-
clared that the explorer diaries, SO
far as observations of the suns alti-
tude were concerned, could have no
probatiye value Other authorities
have since confirmed this declaration,
says Professor Baseh.n and, this be-
| ing 50, the question as to who had
reached ehe pole became primarily one
of credulity, in which. Peary, with
| years of successful and honorable ex-
ploration to his account, naturally
came off the better
Professor Baschin continues: cone
must separate this question whether
Cook reached the pole) from the sec
ond. whether Cook, even if he can
Mot prove his presence at the pole,
did not attain far toward the pole and
tread hitherto unknown portions Of
that part Of the arctic regions. These
results of his expedition are not af-
fected by the strife over the poie, and
deserve at least consideration, where