Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-03
MAN AND THE EARTH
The Influence of One Upon the Other as
Bet Forth by Mr.. Hubbard.
The Annual Address of the Presiden
Of the National Geegra phfc So
cfety Last Evening.

There was a large and interested audience
In the Builders Exchange Hall last evening.
representing much Of the intellectual and
social life Of the city, to listen to a lecture
by the cultured president of the National
Geographic Society. Mr.. Gardiner G. Hub
bard. The occasion was the annual address
OF the president, who took for his subject
THE Geographic Progress Of Civilization :"
His talk was a comprehensive resume Of
the history Of nations. showing how they
had developed from the simplest beginnings
to their present state representing a greater
or less degree Of culture and civilization
He began with the records Of the earliest
man and his probable origin and habitat,
coming down a. far as the United States at
the present time.
With the lecture went a series of interest
ing stereopticon views. thrown upon the
screen under the supervision Of Prof W. J.
MCGEE The pictures represented scenes
from all sections OF the globe and gave the
audience succession Of glimpses into the
life and customs Of many peoples.
The Zone of Intellect.
In speaking Of the zone of Intellect" In
the beginning Of his lecture Mr.. Hubbard
said that II parallels Of latitude were drawn
around the earth about fifteen degrees north
the land within these parallels would include
all the countries Of the world that have
been highly civilized and distinguished for
art and science. No great people, except
the Scandinavfans and Scotch, who from
their climate, belong to the same region
ever existed outside these limits. No great
men have ever lived. no great poems have
ever been written, no literary or scientific
work produced. In other parts Of the globe
In the far north are found savages and
barbarians. Mongols. Laps, Esquimaux,
Firms and other equally barbarous tribes;
the Hottentots and bushmen in Southern
Africa, the Patagonians and Terra del Flu
egans In South America The nearer man
lives to the polar regions the greater his in
feriority in intellect, the greater his barbar-
ism. II two other parallels are drawn. one
fifteen degrees north and another fifteen de-
grees south Of the equator. the country
within these parallels would contain the
richest and most abundantly watered lands,
producing the greatest variety OF vegetable
and animal life. the largest variety of the
most beautiful birds and flowers. the most
ferocious animals; both animal and vege-
table life carried TO the highest perfection,
save only In the case Of man, for whose de-
velopment . different zone has been re-
quired.
A Common Center.
Mr.. Hubbard said that there was every
reason to believe that the human race had
had its origin in some one locality, and had
thence spread over all sections Of the world.
He spoke Of the beginnings Of mankind aid
the methods by which the race had become
scattered. how they migrated from the pre-
sumable place Of starting. and how they
constructed their earliest habitations. which
were dependent largely upon the climate,
the materials at hand and the surrounding
vegetation. Some people became hunters
and fishers, Others nomads, wandering
txA.T xx~fNh xhDs~ AL av.1 10
tilling of the soil came later in the history
Of development. With a nomadic people
the earth cannot support anything like as
many as with an agricultural and manu-
while the same area in England supports
265 and In India 40. When a race ceased
to be nomadic and settled down to till the
soil came the first ideas Of real estate and
family came the first idea Of government,
the head Of the family having despotic
power over all its members. Then several
families formed the clan. and as the clan
grew came the tribe. the association of
clans. The lecturer spoke of the pyramids
OF Egypt, the inventions Of gunpowder,
mariners compass and the printing press
by the Chinese. and the rich literature of
those places.
National Inhuences.
Mr.. Hubbard went on to speak Of the con-
trfbutions made to civilization by various
races and nations. taking them up in order,
beginning with the earliest He showed
how Egypt had influenced the civilization
CT the world. and to the Egyptians is owed
the development Of agriculture and archi-
lecture. The Grecians gave a further and
greater advance to civilization and to Greece
Is owed the separation of church and state
the development of philosophy. literature
and art, the idea Of democracy. and the
personality OF man. Rome had the genius
OF government. Her rule was not that of
race. for she wanted a hundred different
races In the state. To Rome is owed the
Idea OF universal dominion. the merging of
all nations into one and the civil war
All nations pass through similar stages Of
progress. from savagery to a more or less
advanced state OF barbarian. but beyond
these stages nations have rarely II ever
progressed without a change in their sur
roundings. or contact with other people.
Certain nations. like Egypt, Arabia and
China, had an early development but since
then they have not made any progress.
while other highly civilized nations. IKE
the Babyfonians, Assyrians, Phoentciana
Grecians and Romans have had their time
OF development progress and decay
Man Now Controls.
The speaker then took up the nations of
modern Europe In turn in the same of Az
rica and finally Of America, and he closed
his lecture by showing how, IN the begin
ming. man was subject to his environments
and they shaped his life and formed hi,
character. Now he in turn CONTROLS his en-
vlronments. With ever-increasing knowI-
edge there seems to be no reason to doubt
that man will eventually bring under sub
lection all the adverse conditions of physi-
cal life and become the master of his en-
vfronments. until the whole earth from the
polar circle to the equator regions hereto
fore supposed to be entirely unfit for habi-
tation. shall own his power and become the
abode OF the highest intelligence and great
est civilization.