The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-04-29
PROBLEM
OF RACES
Hawaii Instanced
By Titus M.
Coan.
THE CAUSES OF
RACE SUPERIORITY
An Interesting Lecture by the
/ Eminent Prof. Ross Late of
Stanford University.

cas- Race Problem" proved a hard nut
to crack for the learned members of the
America Academy of Political and So
cial Science at their fifth annual con-
vention yesterday, but they tackled it
bravely, and made fine Roadway toward
solving these problems. They first met
at the Manufacturers Club, and in
al luncheon, a. late reception and after
noon and evening sessions, at which in
teresting papers were read on the races
Of the Pacific and the annual address
Talcott Williams presided over the in
augural sessions and the speakers in
cluded the Academy's president, Pro-
fessor Samuel McCune Lindsay; Rev.
Charles c. Pierce, the noted army chap
lain from the Philippines; Dr. Titus
Munson Coan of New York, and Pro-
lessor Edward A. Ross of the Univer-
sity of Nebraska.
At the afternoon session the physical,
geographic and climatic conditions in
the Oriental archipelago and their in
ed upon by DR.. Coan, who made the
opening address and spoke mainly of
the Hawaiian Islands, giving forceful
review of the history, language, arts
ahd poetry of the Republics protege,
Many curious facts were brought out
by the speaker in regard to the popula-
ton of the islands.
INFANTICIDE IN HAWAII.
The natives, he said, formerly limited
the numbers of inhabitants to the sup
porting capacity of the land practical
ly by infanticide. There was no strug-
gle for sustenance, no destructive fam
lines, and the population was methodi7.
cally kept down to the living limit, so
that, outside of this barbarous prac-
tice. life on the islands reached an ideal
condition. While not defending the
means by which this condition was at
tanned, DR.. Coan remarked that the
question to be met in over-populated
districts today was the limitation OF
mere quantity and the Improvement OF
quality.
Chaplain Pierce. who was attached
to General Otis staff in the Philippines,
proceeded to undermine the arguments
| of anti-imperialists in a narration OF
several years experience with the con-
ditions in the Philippines.
1.-THE word Filipino as popularity ap-
Piled, is a rnisnomer." he said. ut
does not designate people, for there
are eighty tribes in the islands, and the
Tagals,, who are carrying on the insur-
riphf IN If than
others. A Filipino people cannot be
said to exist, and, without it, argu-
ments in favor of popular sovereignty
have no logical standing. Such argu-
ments seem. in my opinion, to propose
giving the Tagal tribe the right to gov
ern all the tribes on the islands"
FACTORS IN PACIFICATION.
DR.. Pierce quoted history to prove
that the Tagalos were not the original
possessors of the land. Speaking of
the tribes collectively, he said that they
were a most hospitable people and had
strong family ties. The rumor that the
United States proposed to deport all
CAPTURED hostiles to Guam, he said,
would be an important factor in end
ing the fighting, so afraid was the ma
tive of being removed from his home.
The Tagalos are eager for education,
according to Dr. Pierce, and the liberal
provision for public schools will be an
other factor in the work of pacification.
Many amusing anecdotes were intro
duced to illustrate the phases of native
character.
At the evening session in the New
Century drawing room, President Lind
say reviewed the work of the academy
during the past year. The annual adj
dress 1.-The Causes of Race Superiority"
by Professor Ross, was followed by
reception to speakers and guests. Pro-
lessor Ross traced the superiority of
migrating races through centuries of
history. and said in part:
CAUSES OF RACE SUPERIORITY.
The first cause of race superiority to
which I invite your attention is
/ physiological trait, namely. climatic
adaptability. Just now it is a grave
question whether the f1ouTishing and
teeming peoples of the North temper
ate zone can provide outlets for their
surplus population in the rich but unde-
veloped lands of the tropics. Their SUI
periority, economic and military, over
| the peoples under the vertical sun is
beyond cavil. But can they assert and
profit by this superiority save by i'm
posing on the natives of the tropics the
odious and demoralizing servile rela-
ton? Can the white man work and
multiply in the tropics or will his role
be limited to commercial and industrial
exploitation at safe distance by
means of a changing male contingent
OF soldiers, officials, business agents,
planters and overseers?
The answer is not yet sure. but the
facts bearing on standardization are not
comforting to our race. Immunity from
the fevers that waste men in hot humid
climates seems to be in inverse ratio to
energy. The French are more success
full in tropical settlements than the Ger
mans or the English. The Spanish, Por-
tuguese and Italians surpass the French
in almost equal measure. Xhsp it comes