Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-08-24
CANNlB ALiSM.
Professor Starr Makes an ExpIana-
tiOn nnd Defense OF IL

sASn OcASaSc OF II
"Cannibalism Explained anc Defend
Ell by an Expert" was the theme of
Professor Frederick T. STAIRS dis
course TO the an;hropology class at the
UniVersity>of Chicago.
1be professor came to the big insti-
tuition OF learning ON the Midway with
tcOthpick in his teeth and 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 par
ticuiar kind of fish for his own table.
he confessed he could not blame the
natives for eating white trader when
ever opportunity offered, and said i'm
this case the Germans got just what
they deserved.
When the professor had concluded.
the students discovered that il was
time for luncheon, but none admitted
hc was hungry.
In part this is what Professor Starr
said:
There are some things do not pre-
tend to know about cGnnibaliSm. but |
Go know why the natives prefer human
flesh, and l know the characteristics
of the various bra nds of cannibals.
"First.-Their religion demands that
they kill, cook and eat human beings.
'Second.-They eat human flesh for
the same reason we eat porterhouse
steak-because they like it and because
they can get it.
"'rhird.-Their traditions command
them to devour the hearts and livers OF
their first foe slain in battle They be-
licve in this because they think the
can assimiiate all the courage of tn
late lamCnted enemy
'Fourth.-Tbey kill and eat out of re-
vengc.
''There, now you have IT in n nutshell.
These German traders were slain and
broiled. doubt not. because they
came under the fourth class. They had
been cruel TO the natives. perhaps. he.
cause they could not make as mach
money as they wanted. II was another
case OF 'out Of the frying pan into the
fire. with realistic embellishments
"Tt is notorious that men belonging
10 the most enlightened white races are
often more savage, cruel and bcaStly
when they arc far from home among
native savaCes than the savaCes them
selves. | have visited tribes where the
women and girls are tcrrorizcd 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 i'm my own mind that the traders
provoked the attack Of the cannibalS
and that they deserved 10 he killed.
IL do not believe that the spread of
Christianity and civilization has been
the CHIEF cause of the decrease Of can
nib2lism. Undoubtedly ChriStia nifty
and religion have had some effect ON
the cannibalism. but there were great
many tribes which practiced cannibal.
ism and abolished il before civilized
men ever reached them
DR.. Starr said that some races prac.
tee canuhalism for time ard then
leave or for years only 10 take Il up
again when provoked 10 take venge-
ance in war. lie feels that the New
Britain cannibals looked upon the trad.
ers rs being ut war with them and that
It was right for them TO eat them. Ac.
cordingly. To the professor. the New
Britain cannibalS have not been known
until this time to have eaten foreign.
ers for a number OF years. Chicago
Record.