The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-03

Lodges 'Vhe War With Spain
Cornelius seyveII's "a Gentleman
in waiting" and Other Books.
Z. Ripley. D. Appleton & Co, New
York
FthnoIogy of Europe" by DR.. William
York.
The race problem has passed out Of
the confines of merely academic interest,
and has become the practical question of
the business man and the statesman.
In these days of world empires, men
are finding out that blood will tell, but
just the message it intends to convey is
the object of exact science to disclose.
The capacity for government and for
labor, the power of resistance to climate
and to disease, the capacity for complex
affairs with its reaction on business in
terests all these and many more like
matters are objects of anthropological re-
search.
The American problem, so far at least
as it concerns the dominant classes in
this country cannot be studied in this
country at all, but in Europe. This is
point that must not be overlooked by
those who would guide our affairs or di-
rect cur studies. The European origin
of our population Is so recent that for the
practical questions of race we are still
Europeans. The American is simply a
European in another social, political and
physical environment. Or, to be more ex-
act, Americans are all sorts of Euro
peans, adjusting themselves to a new en-
yironment
The practical and important nature of
Prof. Ripley's studies now offered to
the public in his new volume IS at once
apparent. DR.. Ripley has not given us
the result of first-hand work in his field,
ut he has done a far greater service in
making himself master of the best lit
erature on the subject, out of which he
has built up a coherent and thorough
discussion, based upon the best accepted
rnOden theories. Those who are not
specialists have no idea Of the enormous
literature which has been produced in
the last half-century, particularly in
anthropolOgY. But a large part of it is
in the form of special monographs and III
transactions of various learned societies.
The monumental literature Of the an
thTOpOCgical institute Of Great Britain,
in some sixty volumes, is only an illus
tratiCn in point DR.. Ripley has produced
the best available work in English for
the student and man Of affairs to use in
making himself acquainted with the pres
ent state of knowledge with respect to
the questions that are fundamental to
organized society. The work has been
dore in Il clear comprehensive and thor
OuCh manner. The Boston public library
has been to the expense OF printing the
supplemental photography, which is a full
list OF all the available literature on the
subject for the guidance of special in
vestigators in particular fields. This book
will be Of a great service to scholars
and in this age, when public libraries too
often devote their energies to catering
to the public demand for the latest lit
e~ature, whether good or bal, accentu-
ates the high place Won by the Boston
institution, and the high ideals which
control its management. The supple
ment will not sell enough copies to pay
for publishing, and the library people
know that when they became responsible.
But the main work itself fills an i'm
portant and vacant place in scientific lit
Cr&tufe, and if it be not remarkable for
novel theories or new hypothesis, 1t IS
likely on that account to be all the more
permanent and useful
The work is based upon the doctrine
that there are essentially three races in
Europe, Il doctrine that has been worked
by | a Pcgue and other French writer's
particularly. The three races are the Eu-
ropean man, the Alpine man and the Med
iterranean man Race can no longer be
Disseminated on grounds Of language. or
political institution, or habitation. These
may cover men quite varied real struc-
ture. The Frenchman may belong to
either one of the three real race divis-
-
physical structure The important mat
ters are the color the stature and the
shape of the head. But the color and
stature are affected a great deal by eli
mate and other circumstances. The most
fundamental fact in race is the shape Of
the head. The European man is tail, fair
and long headed The Alpine man III short,
dark and broad headed the Mediterrane-
an man is quite short very Clark of slight
build, but, like the European man, he Is
long headed.
La POgue has gone more fully than our
author into the questions of the relation
OF the long head and broad head to social
and economic conditions within the races
mentioned, for there are marked varia-
lions within the race limits DR.. RiDlev
discusses in broad way the distribution
of these races among the nations of Eu-
rope, and there is much food for thought
when it is seen how closely the race types
follow certain well known political and
religious customs, that persist in spite of
changes of dynasJies or even Of forms
OF government.
The chapter on Russia and the Slavs
gives a great deal of interesting and i'm
portant information. We have long
known that the Russian empire was made
up of complex of Taces The true Rus
slams are a minority of the population,
but the type Of brOad-headed men that
make up the population is more uniform
than that of any other of the great ma
items.
The Jews are deprived Of their race
boast and their race reproach at one and
the same time The author concludes
that they are a people and not race,
Everywhere they respond to the local en-
Vironment and have similar head meas
Urements to their neighbours 1.-The ghetto
has made the Jew" is the conclusion
They are shorter of stature and of in
fcrior chest measure because of III ir
hardships. They are longer lived, not
because they deserve to be phys caliy,
but because of their Mosaic law, which
imposes on them better habits than are
observed by their neighbors and heredi-
tary oppressOrs. There is a Jewish ia e.
trdced, but that results from social Sc
lection and from the similarity of habits
OF life. but especially habits of thought
and feeling.
The origin of the European races TIE
nature and status of the so-called Aryan
race are extensively discussed. The his
tory of early culture is considered from
tho point of view of archaeology and
The final result is only to indicate the ex-
treme difficulty of reaching an adequate
solution as to the effect and comparative
Importance Of migrations and of local
cultures in the history of civilization
Highly interesting social problems, such
IS divorce, suicide, crime and intellec-