The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-09-10

research, is still writing and has new
books in preparation. Such is Henry
vignaud, an American in Paris. OF old
Louisiana family and the most distin-
guished OF living Americanists.
He would be striking figure to-day il
only from the fact that he came TO France
in 1868 as secretary to the Confederate
diplomatic commission OF Mason and Sill
dell. In 1872 he was connected with the
Alabama Claims Commission at Geneva.
And for fifty years since he served with
our diplomatic establishment in Paris fire.
quently acting as charge d'affaires and
remains to-day honorary counselor OF the
embassy.
But when you remember that Henry
vignaud is also author OF twenty-four
works relating to the discovery OF America,
and several of them of giant proportionsi
that in his long diplomatic service he had
access to collections and enjoyed personal
relations with the great on both sides OF
the Atlantic: that he has long been cor
responding member OF the French Insti-
tute, president OF the Society of Aneri-
canists OF Paris. honored guest at learned
International congresses. in technical
touch with specialists of the subject-why.
then. it is easy to see how the Mystery OF
America, which he sums up and decides
Oh in the ripe experience Of his ninety
second year. is OF interest to all Ameri-
cans.
Who were the aboriginal Americans?
Where did the Indians come from? Did
they spring from the soil or emigrate from
elsewhere? Were their ancestors black.
yellow or white-or neither And the
mystery thickens with the extinct civili-
cations OF Mexico and Central and South
America, which have left such grand and
inexplicable monuments behind them.
The specialists are not agreed.
They have explored, dug and photo
graphed; compared hieroglyphics. language
roots and human skulls sounded ocean
depths, compared land fossils and eriti-
cized obscure Spanish AMI Indian authors
OF the Conquest, to form conflicting
theories.
The astonishing thing about Henry Wig
maud is that in addition to his own re-
searches he has specialized on all these
specialists, and is as deeply versed in
modern sensational theories. like Enoch's
1.-THE Secret of the Pacific" G.0ndon. 1922
and Gaffarel's The Phoenicians in Amer
lea" Nancy. 1879. as with grand old
deadwood Ike George Joness Identity of
the Aborigines with the Tyrians" New
York London and Paris. 1S43) and John
Rankings Conquest of Peru by the Tar
tars Of KubIa-Kha I4ondon, 1920.
For the twenty years that / have en-
ioyed Mr. Yignaud's personal friendship l
have admired and wondered at the monu-
mental library absolutely complete.
think that he has collected and whose III
innate destination. legally fixed already.
is for "A great American university.
So. now, to look them over with Henry
vignaudl
Man did not spring from the American
soil.
Agassiz. Haeckel Bory ST. Vincent. Nor
ton. Meigs and others thought that he
antarctic continent as spot of origin. and
as late as Osborn. the eminent American
naturalist ("The Age of Mammals" y. Y,
1910. the idea has been fiirted with. The
big bump came. however with the alleged
discovery OF Ameghino. learned South
American naturalist. who proved by bones
found on the pampas of the Argentine
that all humanity had sprung from down
there,
But a Government commission Of our
Bureau OF American Ethnology, led by
HrdIicka and Bailey Willis. the geologist.
wiped out this theory. which had enjoyed