THE DISCOVERY OF THE NORTH POLE 



THE principal feature of the An- 

 nual Banquet of the National Geo- 

 graphic Society, December 15th, 

 was the presentation of a special gold 

 medal to Commander Robert E. Peary, 

 United States Navy, for the discovery of 

 the pole, and of Hubbard medals to Cap- 

 tain Robert Bartlett for attaining the 

 farthest north, and to Grove Karl Gilbert 

 for achievements in physiographic re- 

 search. Telegrams of congratulation 

 were read during the evening from for- 

 mer President Theodore Roosevelt, who, 

 on behalf of the Society, presented the 

 Hubbard medal of the National Geo- 

 graphic Society to Commander Robert E. 

 Peary in 1906; from the Duke of the 

 Abruzzi, and from the Geographical So- 

 ciety of London and the Geographical 

 Society of Berlin. 



About five hundred members and guests 

 attended the banquet, including represen- 

 tatives from many foreign countries and 

 from all parts of the United States. 

 Toasts were responded to by the Dean 

 of the Diplomatic Corps, the Italian 

 Ambassador. Baron Mayor des Planches ; 

 the French Ambassador. Hon. J. J. Jus- 

 serand ; the British Ambassador, Hon. 

 James Bryce ; Speaker Cannon, Andrew 

 Carnegie, Admiral Colby M. Chester, 

 Professor J- Howard Gore. General 

 Thomas Hubbard. President of the Peary 

 Arctic Club, and Hon. John Barrett. 



The medals have been inscribed as 

 follows : 



A Special Medal Awarded by the 

 National Geographic Society to 

 Robert E. Peary for the Discovery 

 of the North Pole, April 6, 1909. 



The Hubbard Medal Awarded by 

 the National Geographic Society 

 to Robert A. Bartlett, Commander 

 of the S. S. Roosevelt, for attain- 

 ing the Farthest North, 87° 48', 

 March 31, 1909. 



The Hubbard Medal Awarded by 

 the National Geographic Society 

 to Grove Karl Gilbert for original 

 investigations and achievements in 

 Physiographic Research during a 

 period of thirty years. 



The telegrams received were as fol- 

 lows : 



Nairobi, December 12, 1909. 

 National Geographic Society, Washington: 



Extremely pleased. Desire through you to 

 extend heartiest congratulations Peary on his 

 great feat which you have thus recognized. 



Roosevelt. 



London, December 15, 1909. 

 National Geographic Society, Washington: 



Hearty congratulations to Peary on medal. 

 Highly gratified at medal to Bartlett. 



Darwin, 

 President, Royal Geographical Society. 



Berlin, December 15. 

 Commander Peary, 



National Geographic Society, Washington: 

 The Geographical Society of Berlin sends to 

 its honorary member heartiest congratulations 

 on these honors well deserved because of your 

 conquest of the pole which is rich in results, 

 and hopes early in the spring to be able to 

 similarly honor you here. 



Wahnschaefe, President. 



THE TOASTMASTER, WILLIS L. MOORE, 



PRESIDENT NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC 



SOCIETY 



On behalf of the Board of Managers 

 of the National Geographic Society and 

 of the fifty thousand and over members 

 of the organization, and especially of the 

 three hundred and fifty members of the 

 Society gathered at these tables tonight, 

 I extend to you, our guests, a hearty 

 greeting. We are met to celebrate a 

 great achievement. This is an Arctic 

 night at the pole. But we trust that the 

 fervor of our greeting for you will be 

 tropical in its significance. 



And with that word of greeting to you 

 WL will begin the exercises of the even- 

 ing, and we shall endeavor to dismiss the 

 gathering within a reasonable time. 

 That is a little intimation that we do not 

 expect very long speeches from any par- 

 ticular individual. I will make excep- 

 tions to that on the part of the three .Em- 

 bassadors on my right and left. They 

 cannot talk too long for the National 

 Geographic Society. One comes to us 

 from that nation that has given so much 



