PEARY FINDS THE POLE 95 



about Cook having found the pole. The dispatch from Peary makes the situa- 

 tion most interesting." 



On the other side of the water, where the chief purveyors of opinion, the 

 London newspapers, had been chary of accepting Cook's claims, the news from 

 Peary was received with acclaim. 



The Daily Mail said editorially : 



"Just at the moment, when men were saying that only the evidence of an 

 independent witness who himself had visited the North Pole could establish be- 

 yond question or cavil the claim of Cook, that very witness has appeared in 

 Peary, an explorer whose statements are accepted by the whole scientific world 

 without doubt or hesitation. 



"PJaflled and beaten back time after time, he has known how to win a victory 

 in the end. Indomitable has been his perseverence, iron his fortitude, heroic the 

 spirit which has led him to laugh at every disappointment, and thus, by sheer 

 strength of character, to reach his self-appointed goal. 



"As the glory of attaining the north pole has been denied to British effort, 

 all in this country will rejoice it has fallen to one of our kinsmen over the sea 

 and to such a kinsman. America well may be proud of sons like Commander 

 Peary. 



"Greatly as Commander Peary's achievement would have moved the world 

 at any time, coming at this moment it has a special and absorbing interest. 

 Only a few days have passed since the claim of Cook to have reached the North 

 Pole was made known to the public. The long message in which he recounted 

 his journey was by general consent pronounced unconvincing and the further 

 particulars which he communicated since landing at Copenhagen have not re- 

 moved all ground for doubt. Though Danish scientists of high reputation ac- 

 cept his claim, a large section of the public still entertains doubts and asks why 

 it is he has not brought with him his journal and detailed observations to estab- 

 lish the truth of his statements. Now, on the very eve of the day on which 

 Cook will receive a gold medal from the Danish Geographical society, a witness 

 comes forth from the unknown who has looked upon the pole." 



One of the most conservative of London journals, The Standard, had this 

 to say : 



"No discredit is cast on Dr. Cook's story by assuming that the success of a 

 more experienced and better known voyager must be capable of verification. 

 For the present, therefore, we must hail and congratulate Peary as the discov- 

 erer of the pole, subject only to the reservation that a prior claim has been ad- 



