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This created an international scandal. After foreign kings and universities had congratulated and showered honors on Cook, later it was discovered they had been duped. Now, after one American explorer (Cook) was found to have made a false claim, it would reflect badly the reputation of the United States if another (Peary) was found, after examination, to also make a false claim. This would lead to ridicule in the foreign press. To prevent this, the Congress of the United States appointed a committee of the National Geographical Society, which gave a favorable verdict on Peary's discovery after a cursory examination of his field notes, and it was hoped this would settle the matter, so that the world may consider an American explorer, Peary, to have discovered the North Pole. It was hoped this would settle the matter, and prevent one false claim about the discovery of the North Pole by an American from following the other. However, a year after the committee of the National Geographical Society made a favorable verdict on Peary's claim, a new Congressional investigation was made and its verdict was that Peary did not prove his claims because his statements were not backed by a single white witness. The committee made the verdict of [a | "not proven." But Peary never replied to the charges made against him, and wished to end his career by retiring with the rank of Rear Admiral, which carried a pension with it of $6,000 a year. Friends of Peary brought into Congress a bill to retire him. One would think that before he retired an inquiry would be made whether or not he reached the Pole, but no inquiry was made. While the United States government refused to officially endorse Peary's discovery, it could not afford to lower its prestige before the world by announcing that he did not discover the North Pole. "1. In spite of all the talk there has been about scientific data brought back by him and furnished as evidence, the fact is that his claim to the discovery in question is backed by his unsupported word, and by nothing else. "2. All of the other claims to discoveries in the Arctic region by Peary have been proven false. Why, then, should we accept as true his unsupported statement that he arrived at the Pole?" At a Congressional Hearing, Mr. Tittmann, superintendent of the U.S. Coast Survey, was asked: "What evidence is there that this party consisting of Peary and others, reached the Pole?" Mr. Tittmann replied: "I have no evidence of that except the soundings recorded under Peary's signature. Peary brought back nothing - no witnesses, no worthwhile scientific proof, nothing but his unsupported word to back up his "I am satisfied that Peary did not discover the Pole for two reasons: