Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-11-28
ny ,, A. EUBANK.

H. G.. Wells THE outline of His
tory (The Macmillan Co. New York;
is an ambitious Undertaking. but Mr..
Wells does not lack self-coniidence
nor energy. and these two are half
the battle with men otherwise we'll
equipped when there Is a need that
"hunch" that there was Il general
need for just such 4 book. and this
impression quickly took form anu
reality in his mind, ripening into re-
solve, and for him 10 resolve. was to
act. Few men would attempt such
"a sweeping survey of things rs to
comprise in one continuous narra-
i've the whole story of life and man
But Mr.. Wells did: He is a scientist
by education and a modernist by
temperament. That is one explana-
;icn of why he did not stand aghast
tory OF the world. That he did not
overrate his special ability 10 make
good on the undertaking. tho two in
tcrestins volumes he has produced
affords the convincing proof.
Just what the author set out 10
do. he indicates in his introduction.
to-wit: 1T is written primarily TO
show that history as one whole is
to a more broad and CON-
prehcnsive handling than is the his
tory OF special nations and periods, Il
broader handling that Will bring It
within the normal limitations of :imc
aud energy set TO the reading and
education Of an ordinary citizen. This
outline deals with ages ana races and
nations. where the ordinary history
deals with reigns and pcdiErees and
campaigns. but 1t will not he found
to be more crowded with names and
dates nor more difficult TO follow
tell how our present state OF affairs.
this distressed and m"ultifarious hu.
man lie about MS, arose in the CaurSc
of vast ages and out OF the mani
r1fa nCh Of nyi -
the quality and mount and range OF
the hopes with which ii now faces
its destiny
MIR. Wells begins at the beginning.
i~alcozo:c age. Soon he is up with
The pterodactyli and dinosaurs.
Whether mammals, to which class of
rcrtebratcs human life belongs, came
in before the huge dinosaurs disap-
reared is n question not fully deter
mined, says MIR. Wells. The Mes
ozoic mammals or mammal-like rep
tiles. for we do not know clearly which
they were, seem 10 have been all OBJ
u little beasts OF the size OF mice
and rats, more like 4 down-trodden
order OF REPTILES than II distinct class:
probably they still aid eggs and
we're developing only slowly thci.
distinctive covesing of hair. They
lived away from big waters, and per-
maps in the desolate uplands. as mar
mots do now; PROBABLY they lived
there beyond the pursuit of the car
nlforouS dinosaurs. Some perhaps
went on all fours, some chiefly went
on their hindlcgs and clambered with
iore LIMBS. Such, he says. was the
transition from reptiles 10
which prepared the way for man and
II modern beasts.
Next Mr.. Wells discusses the Java
hpe-man, or. rather, the small uuan-
ilty OF discovered bcny fragments
from Trinil. Java, which constitutes.
apart from stone implements. tho
oldest relic OF early humanity that is
known. Already. MIR. Wells and
others who coincide with him. has
been subjected to ridicule for building
up a theory of prehistoric life from
Ii few scraps of bones. stone imple-
inents, etc, but that Is not 10 demol-
!Sh the theory, in the absence OF a
more plausible one TO take it's place.
From the period OF the Java ape.
man, perhaps half n million wears
age, Mr.. Wells leads the reader 10 n
description OF the early PalcoIithic
man las taken from Worthington
smiths Man. the Primcval savage"
The description, which dates back To
the scene some so. 900 or loo, 900 wears
age. is that of a bull-like old cave
man with his woncn and children,
tending Il fire. hammcring hin;s, and
scraning the skins OF animals for
clothing. When. tine boys grew biz
enough to arouse the jealousy or th..
old man he would Kill them or drive
them II but when the Old man passed