Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-26
MAN AND NATURE
North America a Land of Promise
for the Race.
ORIGINALLY 4 TROPICAL ANIMAL
In Colder Climates He Becomes
Hardy and Progressive.
THE DOMINANT PEOPLE
Copyright. 1901, by n. S. Shaler.)

Copyright, 1901, by n. S. Shaler)
Written for The Evening Star by Prof. n. S. Shaler
of Harvard University.
Modern inquiries concerning the effect OF
environment on animals and plants have
naturally served to direct attention to the
influence of nature in various countries on
the fate of man. Thus the question has often
come to me. rs 1t likely that mankind will
fail to maintain itself in North American
or, in another form: us this country to
prove as well suited to the needs of man
as the lands Of the old world?" There is
undoubtedly a measure of doubt in the
minds of some inquirers whether or no our
species is or Is likely to become so recon-
ciied to this continent that 1t will find on it
a fair field for development.
In judging as to the fitness of this land
for the uses Of man it is we'll to have clear
ly in mind an outline of the history of the
CT eat ure in other parts Of the world. So far
as concerns our inquiry the story may be
briefly told AS regards his origin. man
clearly belongs to the tropical part of the
Old world. All the groups of apes which In
bodily or mental characteristics show near
knship with him are found in that part of
the world. The monkeys of America be-
long altogether to lower groups which lie
far away from the path Of advance that led
to mankind. There seems good reason to
believe that the first creatures entitled to
be called human appeared in southern Asia.
or possibly In a land now beneath the sea
that lay between these areas. All the Spe
cies Of the natural order to which man be-
longs are natives of the tropics. OF the
hundred or more of these forms, none range
to regions where freezing cold often occurs.
In fact, no other equally extensive group
Of mammals is so completely limited to the
torrid zone.
Creature of the Tropics.
While the distribution of his lower kim
bred shows clearly that man first found
himself in the tropical realm, the features
Of his body equally attest this field of
origin. His naked state unified him for
life in the colder zones Until he had
learned to clothe himself In skins and the
use Of fire, arts that must have been slow
| ly developed, he could not have lived far
away from the equator. Furthermore. 1t is
In the tropfc, even at the present day, that
the animal, man. is most successful. There
he takes in the greatest range of variations
in form and color. is the least dependent on
his arts for subsistence. is in all respects
most completely naturalized.
We do not know at what stage In his his
tory certain varieties or races of man left
their tropical birthplace for higher lau-
tudes; nor. indeed. what manner of man
they were. They must have been relatively
far advanced in the arts for they could
not have moved any distance poarward be-
fore they were able to meet the novel con-
ditions We may fairly presume that the
movement took place ages after the species
was established, and that only the more
vigorous races shared in the migration,
which was in the end to make their kind
the most widely diffused species in the YER
tebrate type Of animals Even these strong
er folk could not have accomplished the
task until their brains and hands had made
them in measure Independent of the trials
that vigorous climates imposed on them.
Spread of the Race.
When man accomplished the reconcilia-
ton with difficult conditions which cloth
Ing and fire made possible, toerably dis
tinct division Of the two species into two
groups took place. The one retained the
tropical habit, being with some exceptions
incapable of abiding in high ATTITUDES; the
other including the several diverse varieties
commonly known as Caucasian, which can
no longer maintain itself in its best estate
within the equatorial realm. This intoler-
ance Of torrid conditions, which Is so strik-
Ing feature OF all the European peoples is
apparently shared, though in a less degree
by the Semitic folk and those we term Chi
varieties of men that have never known a
frozen earth cannot well reconcile them
selves to 1t, while those who have adjusted
themselves to winter lose their vitality
when deprived Of the tonic cold.
So long as the world Of man remained in
the stsgnant or slow-moving state these
differences due to climate were unnoted.
meme Of the tropical peoples showed q dis
position to wander to high ATTITUDES and
those Of the boreal district rarely sought to
COLOMBO the equatorial lands. If they en-
tered on them they ceased to prosper. If
they maintained themselves at all they an
pear to have dozen SO by intermingling their
stock with that of the Indigenous folk In
our own age. owing to the foregoing motive
of the European folk, with its desire to hold
all lands and to drag the dwellers Of the
fOrrid ahOnt the hat
serve Its civilization, this adjustment Of
races to climate has come to be a matter
of very great Importance. 1t has to be
reckoned with in all our plans for new en-
pires and our forecasts of the future Of
our own.
An UnfavOrabIe Land
Recognizing that the torrid region is in
general untitled for the use Of the master
full stock to which our people belong and
that their part Of the earth lies between
the tropics and the arctic circles, we are
prepared o see how the American CONT
nents are suited to their needs. Taking
first the southern Of these twin lands, we
perceive that in larger measure than any
other 1t Is by Its position untitled for the
use Of Europeans. About two-thirds Of 1t
lies within the torrid zone. OF the area
thus placed, only a small part has Its tenn
perature in an effective degree modified by
its height above the sea; and this the An
dean section. Is generally sterile. South of
the tropic Of Capricorn there is considera-
bic region which, so far as the temperature
is concerned is well suited to our race
Though much of 1t is arid, 1t will doubtless
afford the field for the development Of a
vigorous branch of the European stock.
Considered as a whole, southern South
America may be fairly regarded as the most
favorable part Of the southern hemisphere
for the nurture Of an Aryan population
The agricultural value Of the district Is
probably greater than that Of South Africa
or Australia, and the area fit for the pillow
larger than either Of those lands. Yet, as
compared with North America, 1t Is Of very
limited promise.
Considered in relation to the needs of our
race North America has several signal adj
vantages. In the first place. over three
fourtfls of its surface affords conditions Of