Evening star., 1922-02-19
BY BEN MckELWAY.

OCTH and Central America.
with their wide stretches of
- undereloped and unexplored
territory. are becoming the
mecca for men of science, who are
organizing new expeditions every
month or SO to penetrate the desc
,, late wastes and tropical jungles
forgotten civiliza tion and the treas
| ures Of nature. priceless in the
progress of medical, biological and
botanical research.
Fighting under the difficulties and
Drawing the perils of entering wild
and unknown country in search OF
plants. insects and knowledge which
may better their. humankind, these
men of science are making history
more romatic than the bold adven-
turers who came over in their GAL
Icons from the old world centuries
ago. searching gold and worldly
treasure.
For years the Carnegie Institu-
tion has been sending parties of ex-
plorers to northern Central America
and southern Mexico to find the
secret of the rise and fall of the
Maya civilization. which thrived in
this region fifteen centuries ago. The
1922 expedition left Washington only
recently, composed of DR.. Sylvanus
G. Morley, associate in middle
American archaeology: DR.. c. f.
Guthe. research associate in charge
of excavations at Peten. Guatemala
DIR. 8. Lothrop. archeolegist; o. G.
Richetson, jr.. and NJ X. Jessup. field
assistants, and ]. N. Sopena, photogra-
pher.
Judged by almost any standard OF
comparison. according to the Pan
American Union. the Maya Of Cen
tral America were the greatest
aboriginal people Of the New World.
In art. architecture, sculpture. sci
! ence, chronology. astronomy, arith-
metic and in hieroglyhic writing
they were without peers in the west
ern hemisphere before the white men
came They have been called the
Greeks Of the New World.
This civilization. 1t is said, was
based primarily on an agricultural
development Of region which is
now virtually uninhabited and buried
beneath the tangled luxuriance OF
dense. tropical forest. Where there
were once cities containing lofty
pyramids and beautiful temples and
palaces Of carved stone. there is now
a desolate waste OF mounds and fallen
masonry, upon which great trees and
tropical shrubbery have taken root.
~ Il 4
Why was this change accomplished
in the comparatively short time OF
fifteen centuries? Fifteen centuries
ago Italy was a thriving country. and
she is today. Thirty centuries ago
Egypt supported a great population.
and she does today. What brought
about the fall Of the Maya empire,
which supported tens Of thousands a
few hundred years ago?
That Is one of the interesting and
romantic questions which has caused
the Carnegie Institution to send its
explorers into Central America in
hope of interpreting the causes for
the rise and fall of the Maya empire
q question. which, when answered
will constitute chapter in the his
tory of man on this hemisphere.
An interesting development in con-
nection with this expedition is the
decision Of the Department of Agri.
culture to send DR.. o. F. Cook. one ot
its scientists, to join the party In
Central America and study the agri-
he finds may be of value to the people
who now inhabit that part of Central
America and Mexico, for agriculture.
as it was then, surpasses what it is
today.
X + 4
There are numerous parties now in
the unexplored portions of nearly
every country of South America. From
the time they leave the United States
until they reach a port on the home
ward trip little is known of their
progress. They leave civilization be-
hind them and enter an unknown
world.