DISCOVERER OF AMERICA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20312, 20 July 1929, Page 3 (Supplement)

DISCOVERER OF AMERICA.

NORSE CLAIM DOUBTED. The United Stales House of Representatives, after debating the question, has officially declined to give credence to 1 lie theory that tho Norse explorer, Leif Ericson, discovered the American mainland about the year 1000 Various persons, including ex-President Coolidge, have credited 1 Leif til c Lucky," son of " Eric the Red," with being tho first wliite man to set foot on this continent. But, when a North Dakota representative mentioned Ericson ns the descoverer, in a resolution ho put forward, it evoked a storm of protest which resolved itself into a three-cornered fight, tho distinction being claimed for an Irishman, as well as for Columbus. Tho resolution aimed at authorising Hoover to accept an invitation from Iceland to participate in tho 1000 th anniversary of the Althing, or Iceland Parliament, "which has been in existence since tho Norwegian occuption of tho island, and which first sat in 930. Tt directed tho President, as a gesture of good-will, to erect in that country a statue or other memorial to Ericson. Tho preamble set out that ho was tho first wliito man in America. " Does not tho gentleman from North Dakota know that many historians of repute attributo to an Irishman tho discovery of America in tho sixth century ?" asked Representative O'Connor from Louisiana. Eventually tho rofercnco to tho discovery was eliminated, but provision for the Ericson memorial was retained.;