The Washington times., 1908-07-13
MI. Monk Scores Mere Humans
In Discussion of Psychology
Takes Up the Question From His Side of the Cage, and
RidiculeS the Idea That His Race Isn't
Originatve

NEW YORK, July I3-"No. you are
not intrudlng," said John Alden Monk.
politely. as he put a tapering hand out
OF his cage and pulled a button on the
writer's coat. Priscilla and l haye
been in menagertes for years. We are
used TO people standing and staring at
US by the hour. They say we are so
curious And a thousand wrinkles OF
amusement, not unmixed with irony,
crumpled up the countenance OF Mr..
Monk.
Human beings take things so serious.
ly," he continued. Take this young
Mr.. Melvin Haggerty from Harvard. FOR
instance. He's spending his summer
vacation studying monkeys. He makes
notes in a big book, and from these dcts
and scratches he will lecture next au-
tumn 10 those wild men they call stu
dents.
Right here I should like to put NJ.
Haggerty straight Yes, get out your
pencil-that's what human beings re-
member with. isn't 1t? ] sometimes
watch Mr.. Haggerty scratching in his
book. and wish I had a pencil and
could help him out with some real facts
from the inside of the cage, you know.
Please jot down that Mr. Haggerty
is not. as some OF the papers have said.
studying the language of monkeys. He
doesn't care a squeal about Il. And he
isn't a zoclogist. His speciality Is psy-
chology, and he IS monkeyinR around
here this summer to observe the be-
havior OF animals He chose monkeys
because we were smaller and easier 20
handle than elephants or polar bears or
tigers. He is not at oil concerned about
the missing link theory-except IN the
winter. when he can't play golf! What
he is after Is 70 find out whether we are
initiative or origfnative-is tina, q good
word2 You catch my meaning. st any
rate.
Humans Not $50 Much"
1T is still a question among psycholo-
gists whether a child would ever talk
ana walk. smoke cigarettes, ard rob
birds rests II he never saw anyone else
do such things. This young man wishes
70 prove these mysteries by studying
Us. He hasn't made up his mind yet.
Some psychologists, II seems, think We
would net cut teeth OF swing by our
tails II we were brought UP isolated
from other monkeys. HeIghO' these Sc
rious human beings,
"In the meantime. Priscilla and and
Stanley and Peary and Huxley and Oar
win. who are entertaining M Hagger-
~, are studying him We may publish
OUT observations. too. Il ne makes us
ridiculous before those Cambridge IN
dergraduates.
After all, who is this young man? An
r. 2. V. possibly, and al most. But we
are 3 F.'s-which means Before the
Flood. Our ancestors were picking
cocoanUts and telling Jungle tales when
the ancestors Of tbs young man were
mere spineIess hobs "linging 10 rocks.
awaiting evolution. lie is an earnest
young man. very gentlemanly in his
treatment Of Us. and courteous TO a de-
gree: but he has habits which Jar a
monkeys sensfbuities. For instance. he
brings reporters and scientists in here
and they grin and jabber- The women
stick parasols through the bars a. Us.
and the men make imbecile remarks
about the depth Of our foreheads-
The final insult is 10 say that we
are amusing but that chimpanzees are
more intelligent. Perhaps they are For
my part. I have met chimpanzees who
.gere repulsively human There was
DObarg, for example He swore and