The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-11-09
ANCIENT LIFE Of
AMERICA MAY
BE IN YUKON
Scientist Tells of Crossing OF
Populations From Asia to
New Continent.

The discovery of remains of an
cient forms of life on the Pacific
coast bu John Peabody HGTTi'1g ton,
of the Smithsonian Institution, has
ercited the interest of scientists,
especially psychologists, through
ont the wOrId. What one prOnts-
ment scientist thinks Of the find IS
presented herewith.
By DIR. JOHN r.. SWANTON, :.
American students are pretty well
agreed that, ethnologicaHy this con.
tinent is an off-shore 1Slano OF
Asia, and that the bulk OF It's orig
inal population was drawn from
that continent. 1t is not oenleo
that small bodies OF pepole may
have reached the continent In otner
ways from time to time, out sucn
colonization has still to De proved,
while the researches or the Jesup
North Pacific expedition and the
Smithsonian institution have placed
immigration by way of, or IN the
neighborhood of Bering Strait be-
yond question.
The American physical types, par.
ticularly those along the North
Pacific coast, are plainly Asiatic
and entirely un-Europeon or Al
rican.
Contact Between Worlds.
That the peoples OF kamchatka
and southern Alaska were in con-
tact not long before the discovery
of America is proven by reseln-
blances between their myths too
close to be accounted for in any
other manner, and since the Eskimo
about Bering strait were constantly
crossing from one continent to the
other, it may be said that the con-
nection between the old and new
worlds never has been entirely
broken. In other words, there have
always been people in the old world
acquainted with the American con-
tinent.
Even IL the climate Of the Boring
strait has been the same as today
since man appeared, the peopling OF
America from this quarter presents
no difficulties.
In spreading over the earth, man.
kind undoubtedly followed the line
Of least resistance, i. e., they moved
progressively from regions already
occupied and exploited by their Eel
lows to the new countries where the
food supply was more abundant.
The modern immigration from Eu.
rope is merely another example of
the same process, except that the
first colonizers of America were
lured on by natural food supplies,
while our later European immi-
grants were drawn by new opror-
tunities to supply themselves with
food artificia14y.
People Move Slowly.
The movement of population into
northeastern Asia was necessarily
slow q granted the climatic condi-
Tions OF today-because 1t was from
a miIder to a harsher climate; yet,
it would proceed steadily as the
growth of southern populations
pressed more and more upon "the
food supplies. Once the strait was
crossed, however, even though by
but a single band, the movement
would proceed rapidly, particularly
after such a region of almost fabu
lous natural wealth had been
reached, such as the lower Yukon
and the Pacific coast of America
lying to the southwark.
The occupation of America would
then be accelerated in two ways,
/. e., by an increase of immigrants
due to reports brought back by the
first settlers and by accelerated in
crease in the population such as
always takes place when human
beings are brought into region
where food is abundant and easily
obtained. Here the rapid repro
duction Of our early European white
colonists is another case in point.
On general principles we may
conclude that the coast would be
occupied rather more rapidly than
the interior, and since the most
abundant supplies of food in that
particular area are along the
coast, the Pacific seaboard, and
the western part Of North Amer
lea generally, would naturally be
settled in advance of the eastern
part of the country.
Remains i'm Yukon.
If this generally accepted outline
Of the course of settlement of
America is correct, remains Of the
oldest Americans should be dis
covered in the northwest; perhaps
somewhere along the lower course
Of the Yukon. Although such re-
mains would be scanty and unim-
pressive in appearance, their scien-
tific value would be incalculable,
as we would then know with what
tools and household furniture tho
American race began it's career
what it owed to the Old World, anc
what it evolved for itself.
Thus prize of lncalculable value
undoubtedly awaits some future
archaeologist in the far Northwes
one well worth the unusual diff:
culties of work in that section and
the exceptional expenses of sucb an