A CRUEL SLANDER.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1676, 17 February 1913, Page 6

A CRUEL SLANDER.

Tiie evil rumours which have been set in circulation concerning the tragic end of Commander Scott and his exploring party, and the efforts vmade for their reliof, aro aB deplorable as they are difficult-to account; for. It is natural perhaps that where people are stirred as the tragic and heroic end of these gallant mon has stirred the whole world that the thought should arisb: Was all that could be. accomplished done to avert the tragedy 1 But there has not been the slightest ground for .any suggestion that any possible effort in this direction was spared. On the contrary, it lias been lilado abundantly clehr that Commander Scott and his comrades puccurnbed to a succession of overpowering' misfortunes which no man could hope to overcome, and that the efforts to afford them relief failed only because men cannot accomplish the impossible. It may be that an error of judgment was committed when tho party returned to New Zealand last week in delaying to immediately .make known the great calamity which had overtaken the expedition. The mystery with which the result of Scott's, final dash for "tho Pole'was at first surrounded naturally gave rise to speculation and perhaps to some uneasiness, but that should have been quito dispelled by the narratives which have since been jniblished. It is impossible to believe that the survivors of the expedition should hfivo entered into a conspiracy of silence in order to shield any of their number. The officers of the expedition, ineluding Lieut. Bruce, Commander Scott's brother-in-law, all v indignantly repudiate any suggestion that the relief party had in' any way failed to do all that was possible. While it is to be deplored that such assurances should have been necessitated by the evil rumours set afloat, they will in the circumstances be welcomed as removing all doubt on the subject. The story of tho expedition is ono of such heroism and noble selfsacrifico that it is regrettable that it should have been tarnished oven for a moment by suggestions so monstrously unjust.