The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-28

III IOllOWr, OF COuTte, Nndl WI. whitney,
accepts the old central Asia theory OF the
origin OF the Aryan peoples. He reminds
us that the history Of the rise Of primitive
civilizations so far as we possess IL shows
them to have had their inception not In
cold and densely wooded countries, but
rather in the more temperate. semi-arid
and open lands OF the world. We know
that the primitive historic seats OF popu-
lation and OF power in the case OF the
| negroid and Semitic races clustered about
the warm, semi-arid, compar atively treeless
valleys Of the Nile and the Euphrates;
we know that the earlier historical oiviliza-
tions Of the Aryans OF the west arose upon
the warm. open shores Of the Egean and
the Adriatic. The reasons for this phs-
nomenon are plain. Where there is only
a light rainfan forest growth is more or
less restricted to the rims OF the streams
in the river bottoms. while the open, grassy
upland plains AFFORD an abundant supply
OF wild game for man when as yet he ia in
the hunter stage. and a field already pre-
pared for the ~pasturage Of his herds and
focks as he passes on to the next stage
Of upward evolution. the pastoral life. As
our author would put it. all civilization il
in the beginning based on grass. II is
a pastoral life that the Vedas hint Of before
the Aryan man descended 70 the Indian
plains from the highlands Of central Asia.
Then. again. in pastoral life the light rain
fall. the sunnier skies and the semi-arid
lands tax less severely the vitality Of a
crude people. and hus conduce to a more
rapid increase in numbers. and conse-
auently in ability to hold their own against
opposing races.
Mr.. Widney comedies that neither climatic
law nor race tradition. IL either be taken
alone, might be accepted as conclusive
in deciding the question OF the original
home OF Aryan peoples He submits, how
ever. that when both lines OF argument
are taken together. and il we couple with
them the fact that geologically Asia is old
and Europe new and that Asia conse-
auently would be best fitted to become
the home Of primitive man n the birth
place OF civilization. and add the further
fact that within historic times the great
waves Of migration and Of conquest in the
Eastern continent nave been almost uni
versally from Asia westward. when all
these facts are borne in mind we can hardly
escape the conclusion that the more reason
able presumption would point away from
the sea 10 inc liu -tontlIicntdi ttlu az VIC
primitive home Of the Aryan peoples,
from which they scattered and spread all
over the world; and that the later homes
by the midland and western ssas were
only secondary places OF sojourn for sepa-
rate branches Of the common stock, new
homes won from the dense. chill forests
and an inhospitable cline, after this por-
ton OF the earth's surface had become
fitted ~geologically for the abode Of man
and after the race had developed mechanical
skill and devised implements and appliances
with which TO wage successful battle against
the less favorable forces Of nature in these
newer lands. That this solution of the
problem of the Aryan birthplace is the
simplest and answers more nearly all the
requirements OF the problem than any
other which has been offered seems to the
author Of the book before us hardly a matter
OF dispute
II Ia, then. TO the heart Of the Eastern
continent rather than to the shores Of the
Baltic or the seagirt peninsulas Of southern
Europe hat we must look for the proto-
Aryan home Here seems to have been
the primitive cradle OF the race. What
manner of land il was topogra phically and
dramatically is another question that will
be found discussed and illuminated in other
parts Of this interesting volume.
N IN