The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-08-15
REASONS FOR cANNIBALIsM.
Set Forth by Prof Starr of the Univer-
sity of Chicago.


sity of Chicago.
"Cannibalism Explained and Defend
ed by an Expert was the theme of
Prof. Frederick T.. Starts discourse to
the anthropology class at the Univer
sity of Chicago.
The professor came to the big insti-
tuition OF learning on the Midway with
"A toothpick in his teeth and a napkin
in his pocket. At the breakfast table
he had read of the fate of German
traders in New Britain. Though he did
not say that he preferred any particu-
lar kind of fish of his own table, he
confessed he could not blame the ma
tives for eating a white trader when
ever opportunity offered. and said in
this case the Germans got just what
they deserved.
When the professor had concluded
the students discovered that 1T was
time for luncheon, but none admitted
he was hungry.
In part this Is what Prof Starr said:
There are some things / do not to
pretend to know about cannibalism.
but I do know why the natives prefer
human flesh, and / know the charac-
teristics of the various brands of can
nibals.
"First-Their religion demands that
they kill. cook and eat human beings.
"Second-They eat human Hesh for
the same reason we eat a porterhouse
steak-because they like 1t and because
they can get 1t.
"Third-Their traditions command
them to devour the hearts and Iivers
of the first foes slain in battle. They
believe In this because they think they
can assimilate all the courage of the
late lamented enemy.
"Fourth-They kill and eat out OF
revenge.
There. now you have 1t in a nut
shell. These German traders were
slain and broiled, doubt not, because
they came under the fourth class.
They had been cruel to the natives.
perhaps. because they could not make
as much money as they wanted. 1t
was another case of out of the frying
pan into the fire. with realistic embel-
lishments.
1T Is notorious that men belonging
TO the most enlightened white races are
often more savage, cruel and beastly
when they are far from home among
native savages than the savages them
selves. have visited tribes where the
women and girls are terrorized when
they hear of the arrival of foreign
traders and soldiers. They actually flee
to the mountains and remain until the
visitors have departed. There is no
doubt in my own mind that the trad
ers provoked the attack of the canni-
balls and that they deserved to be kill
cd.
II do not believe that the spread of
! Christianity and civilization has been
the chief cause of the decrease of can
nibalism. Undoubtedly Christianity
and religion have had some effect on
the cannibalism, but there were a
great many tribes which practised can
nibalism and abolished 1t before civil
lized men ever reached them
DIR. Starr said that some races prac-
tice cannibalism for a time and ther
leave Off for years only to take it UT
again when provoked to take ven.
geance In war. He feels that the New
Britain cannibals looked upon the trad
ers as being at war with them and that
II was right for them to eat them. Ac
cording to the professor the New Brit
ain cannibals are not known, until thi;
time. to have eaten foreigners for {
number of years.-Chicago Record.