The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-07-22
Prof. Starr Declares Race Is
Growing Like Indians.
IMMIGRATION THE REMEDY.
Only the Constant Influx Of Foreigners viii
Save The Complexion Of Americans
APscu|Iar Theory.

Chicago. ILL.,. July 22.-If IL wero not
for Ellis Islands stream OF foreigners
Americans would be white no longer, but
a dark red brown. Such Is the teaching
of Prof. Frederic Starr of the University
of Chicago. who declares in all seriouk-
ness that we are on the verge of becom-
ing like Indians
Foreign blood the professor declares, is
the one thing that stands between Amer
leans and an Apache complexion, and
therefore he cries with vehemence. May
the gates OF Ellis Island always swing in
ward To the people OF other lands"
Prof. Starr has distinguished himself
on various occasions. by making, In his
class room. radical statements about va
rious things. Many OF his utterances
have been copied far and wide, and he
has attained a certain amount OF noto-
riety at home and abroad.
He startled the scientific world a few
years ago by this same assertion. that
only liberal immigration laws could keep
US from becoming red men. Not dis
mayed by the ridicule with which the
statement was received. Prof. Starr has
been investigating the matter fully. and
now declares that he has sufficient proof
TO convince the most skeptical that his
contention is correct
GERMANS AS TYPES.
For the purpose OF study Prof. starr
mas taken the German immigrants who
nave settled In PENNSYLVANIA. New Eng
land and West Virginia. who hold most
tenaclously to the characteristics OF their
countrymen.
They usually settle I'm communities
where they can preserve their language
and their customs as they brought them
termarry with other nationalities. and
ideal conditions.
After several years OF close observation
the professor has been convinced that the
GERMAN immigrants are gradually assum-
ing some OF the physical attributes OF
the North American Indian.
He found that the transplanted Ger
man grew more brown each year and
that the color OF the hair became much
darker. With the surrender OF the fair
Saxon complexion the German apparently
changed none In morals, manners or
mentality, yet the change in complexion
Prof. Starr studied Americans and found.
as he expected, that similar peculiarities
existed-only In greater degreo-smoag
other Inhabitants of the United States
Prof. Starr is sure that there should
be some remedy for this tendency II
the German who preserves so well his
more like Poor f,o'' he argues surely
the effect on others will be greater. Ac-
cordingly. Prof. Starr favors liberal i'm
migration laws and believes that IL Amer
lean women are TO preserve their creamy
complexions the foreigner must be well
coined.
AFTER FINGERS AND TOES.
Besides discovering that we are soon to
be as red or brown as the Sioux and to
have long. straight black hair. like the
trying to evolve theory to explain why
some persons have more fingers or toes
than the regular allotment
He wants to secure the details of 500
cases--he now has 350-and then he will
make careful study of all and evolve
some theories as to why some persons
have six toes and others extra fingers.
Prof. Starr is satisfied that the only
two theories now given for the presence
OF this phenomenon are insufficient. One
theory Is not a. theory at all. according
TO Prof. Starr. but merely name-dich-
otomy-referring TO the tendency OF the
parts to split 1t does nothing to ex-
the atavistic one--is that these superfu-
Gus digits are occurrences of lost traits
which generations ago were necessary.
Prof. Starr has sent out blanks I'm every
case he has heard OF. in which he asks for
a full history Of the case.
II will have the full number of cases"
said Prof. Starr. land then Will begin
the comparative study OF the cases before
me. In the end l should be able to for
mulate some theories regarding the
cause of the phenomena. From the three
hundred and fifty cases which now have
certain general statements may now be
made without further study. These PEE
culiarities occur more often I'm large FAM
lilies than in small ones and more fire.
quently in the South and East than in
the West.
II am not satisfied that all the cases
are hereditary, and therefore they can
not all be explained by the atavistio
theory While many OF the cases are
atavistic and skip generations, perhaps,
/ believe that there is another explana-
tion for many cases.