The Washington times., 1923-11-14
MISSED
POLE, SAYS
P[0RER
Captain Rernier Declares Claim
Of Discovery Is Not Sup
ported by Observations.
Communal from Flrgt Page.l

disbelief that the American eK.
plorsr had actually reached the
Captain Bernier based his con.
clpsion on the fact thatA Peary on
MS return was unable to give svaria-
tons from the time he left Capt.
Robert "A. Bartlett around $500 and
during his absence OF about twenty
days took, according to his own
admission. only one observation and
that was when he was, In his esti-
nation, only three miles from the
pole. Captain Bernier could not
understand how Peary could reach
the pole without taking variations,
&c he would be unable to determine
the direction.
No Sign Posts In Arctic.
There are no sign posts in the
Arctic pointing the way, and say.
Ing 30 many miles to the pole.
There 4 nothing but Ice all around
and 4 = man did not take variations
he would certainly lose his direc-
ton.
Bernier doubted. that Pearv could
reach the geographical pole and
take his first observation Ci1Iy three
miles from the spot. He remarked
that he had had considerable cor.
fespondenCe with Pearv On the sub.
feet In an effort to obtain from min
the variations, and found. the Amer.
cans reply unsatisfactory. one of
his conclusions, eNen, applying to
the magnetic, but not to the geo.
graphical pole.
Took No 6Ourldings.
I Peary took no soundings and
could bring back no information Cf
the slightest value, he said. He
left the world In az complete ignor.
ance about the pole as Ii was when
he started on his expedition, accord
ing to Captain Bernier.
II he had only brought some
sediment from the sbottom, IL would
have been OF value" remarked Cap
tain Bernier, adding 1t was I'M
fortunate that Bartlett. who had
been Peary's advance agent, should
have been left behind and that
Peary took only EsIxifaos with him.
Surely in the discovery Of the
pole there was enough honor to be
shared by half a dozen men," said
Captain Bernier.
He told OF having proposed to
Peary plan for reaching the pole
and offering to accompany him as
his sailing master, but Peary had
replied that he was temperamentally
untitled to spend five years on q
ship as Bernier's plan allowed for,
although he admitted that the Cana
dian explorers plan would very
likely be successful.
Captain Bernier has only recently
returned from q three months trip
to the Arctic and confessed he might
be out Of touch with some OF the
news, of other explorations.
Tells Of Danger to ''Maud"
He declared he did not say the
Maud, the ship fitted out by Captain
Amundsen to carry the ice, drift ex-
petition, had been. crushed on the
Siberian Islands, but that IL she pro-
ceeded in that direction, as appeared
likely from, the last news OF her, she
would be in grave danger Of being
crushed, particularly IL she we're
caught in the ice in the fall.
"I would not likaa to be in COM
mand of her IL that happened" he
said. recalling the fate Of Captain
DelOng In the Jeanet4e.
Found Ship Wreclxage.
Bernier asserted he had on his
recent trip discovered the wreckage
of ships caught in the ice. They
were Belcher's ships, and he drew
on piece Of paper several curves
TO show how necessary it was to
go with nature In an attempt to
reach the Pole. The ice did not
drift In straight lines but in curves
the diagram he drew showed
though 1t was impossible for lay
man to visualize the picture which
evidently arose in the explorer
mind as with his pencil he traced
the course Of various expeditions.
He told of a conversation with
Amundsen, who agreed with his own
views about the steps necessary to
be taken to reach the Pole, in every
particular except one-the starting
point. The Canadian explorer 'ap'
peared to think most of Captain
Bartlett's chances, and hoped ne
would follow the route he hlmseAt
favored.
Took Supplies To Cook.
Captain Bernier told of how he
had taken supplies to Frederick A.
Cook, when the latter emerged from
Ellemer island after his imaginary
trip to the Pole. He said he was ap'
pealed to by Mrs. Cook to take
provisions to her husband, whose
whereabouts she did not know, and
after referring the matter to the
provincial government, whose em-
ploye Captain Bernier was, and
having 1t referred back to him, did
SO, Ngladly, because he felt the British
empire owed q debt to the United
states for having purchased the
endurance" and present 1t to
Queen Victoria.
Interest Lays.
The discovery Of the North Pole
Is not nearly so important a matter
as 1t appeared to be some years ago
ana will not carry such great re-
wards, according to Captain Bernier
VINO quoted another authority as
stating that whereas at one time the
discoverer might have expected to
nave his monument in gold, ne
would now be lucky to have 1t in
brick.
Captain Bernier attributed the di
mlnishing public interest In the dis
coVery OF the North Pole partly to
the doubt surrounding Peary's ex
petition and partly to the hoax per
petrated by DIR. Cook.
Cook spoiled the whole thing" he
said.
Son Born to Princess.
HwAA No.. 0ApvHAa.