Evening star., 1926-02-18

The report that Mr.. John d. Rock
| efeller, jr., had donated to King Fuad
of Egypt $4,000, 600 to establish at
Cairo a great museum and archeolog
| ical institute came as a surprise to
the average American. but not 70
| scholars.
| The Rockefeller fortune is hack OF
the University Of Chicago. and the
Egyptian institute Is an extension OF
| that institution of learning ana re-
| search. The enterprise is under the
| guidance of Prof. James II. Breasted
Of the Chicago University, the leading
Egyptologist of America, although Dr
Breasted modestly attributes credit 10
Prof. Pierre Lacau, director general
of the organization in Egypt having
| the work in charge.
Mr.. Rockefeller says, above all
| the donor seeks to express by th's
offer international entity and the
| friendliness and respect felt by Amer
| lea, the newest land of the West, TO-
| ward Egypt, the oldest land OF the
| East and the oldest land in history.
| However, it would be questioned
| whether it is really worth $lO,o00,0 ,0Oo
| lust to extend greetings, however po.
| etjcal between the United States and
| Egypt-if that were all that Is IN
| volved.
To most laymen there is no subject
| quite so dry as archaeology. IL may
seem indeed fitting for mature proIes
| sors, and for such environment ae the
neighborhood of the Great Sahara
Desert, but for lively interest why
| pour out the millions on Egyptian
bones and dusty relics Of prehistoric
days? Furthermore, the ultra Amer1
| can asks II there are not enough mys
tery and history in our own archeol
! ogy, without delving into the tombs OF
more. Tut-ankh- -Amens. How about
| our Indian mounds, built by some un
konwn race (?) before the Indians ar
rived? How about the origin OF IN
| dams, the ''real Americana? Wha'
of the Toltecs. the Aztecs. the inca:
and all their pyramids ana palaces:
| Can we not find interest closer homei
| The question Is remindful OF the
adage Of the editor who explained the
| perspective Of news, "A dog night on
| the street in front of the office Is OF
| more value as news than q Dattle or
| the other side of the ocean," But the
! archeologist answers that Is not so
when in that battle is the A. E. F.
the sons of the anxious readers. MOI
so. then, is the story Of American IN
| QlaNS superior III littctS8Is AAo"o ~
proximate, to the tale OF our own an
cestry born in Eden, taught In Egyp'
| and Babylonia, sanctified In Palestine
| cultured in Greece and Rome anc
reaching the climax OF civilization
| In France, England and America.
Why, all those anc!ents are oui
folks" What care we for the Mongo
lians who rowed 80 or 40 miles across
Bering Strait some $4,000 years ago
and gradually increased to 100000
or 10000, 900 Indians" spreading over
North and South America before Co
lumbus sailed to Cathay and met then
true Cathayans-half way to China
Interesting Indians, but not our owl
folks"
The scientist argues 1t is like the
cynic Indifference assumed by ths
mocker of ancestry. before some
genealogist digs UP the line proving
Of ancestry, before some genealogis'
digs up the line proving that his
folks" came to America In the May
| flower. Now that archeologtsts prove
that back of the Mayhower was
Noah's Ark and the Garden OF Eden
and we are direct descendants OF tn
original first lemurs OF Asia or Africa
| Of course we find intense interest II
all additional facts the archeologists-
learned men-dig up around Ur, Baby
lon or Cairo.
Archaeology is less than a century
old. Modern archaeology has been sait
to be scarcely one decade old, suc1