THE SCHEME OF THINGS

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 135, 9 June 1928, Page 14

THE SCHEME OF THINGS

(By M.H.C.)

Apparently the "ape talk," including Professor Voronoff's horrible idea of transferring apo glands to humans iv order to give them renewed life and youth, is arousing some indignation among a number of prominent people who regard tho real benefit of the human race as of the first importance. It is stated that a certain Professor Sniythc, of Berkeley (America) does not theorise at all about the ape business: he lays down the law about it, and even provides portraits. Those aro sketches of the first man and woman, but there is no statement about •where they came from, or who was the original artist. The idea is that an unusually precocious male mtmkey met an unusually precocious female of tho same kind, and they were the real Adam and Eve of legend. The man was armed with a club and sought his wife in tho usual cave fashion, and the woman was an artful timid creature whoso stock-in-trade consisted of wiles. The Professor gave then names and ridicules all "may-be's" and "mightbe '3," and is sure that the origin of all came about in the above teams. The more that appears, from tho scientific world at present that is peculiar and rather gruesome, the more is tho ordinary person likely to think that "much learning must make mad," and that peoplo who "stew" over single subjects get rather unbalanced about them. So far as Voronoff is concerned, it only needs thought to realise how undesirable it would bo for people to have their lives ■ unduly prolonged. They would :>;outlive their generation —for he does "not propose to ■ ". prolong the whole * ;'world, "but only those who can afford ... Ijis treatment,", and the unpleasantness being side by sido with a person's own great-great-grand children, and arguing .with them, possibly, and trying 'vu to make them sec the point of view_ of a hundred years ago—could anything be more depressing and lamentable1? It could b<? developed to a great extent, and the overcrowding of the world, the lack of place and power for the younger folk, and the general confusion that would reign, could bo worked up into <i story of tragedy and misery untold. Discoveries, such as wireless in the latter time,., and the .wonderful efforts of Edison'earlier, arc all of benefit and importance.to tho human race, but '.'monkeying-? 'with the persons of people has. something horrible and unsavoury about it. Talking of monkeys brings the mind to another form of "professorism," which expressed itself in a weird book, or. series of articles about women. A German gentleman who writes on "Feminism" finds that women aro like worms, and can be cut-in two, and yet survive—there is no killing the creatures. Ho states. that a man clenches his teeth on,the operating table, and would die sooner than Jet out a sound (apparently the professor's men are conscious all the time on the table), whilo women shriek, but survive—the man having heroically died sooner than let put a-cry. Then on one page he says that woman ..is fully developed at twenty-.o'iie (this, to prove her lower organism-), and'on.another he finds that her full growth' docs not occur till she is between thirty or forty (to prove that .he, should go on diligently producing offspring all that time. Again, he takes'immense pains and many pages to proves'-that ..man is the more intelligent, not forgetting to state the advantages ho has in weight and in the power, of growing a beard. Then the writer,. passes-on .to show that woman is less motioually steadfast —"woman builds herself a rampart of man's constancy behind which she- may'inflict injury.on "him." Women's love is shorter/, lived;; they desert their man directly .he meets with misfortune instead of;.sticking to him.with tho constancy and compassion shown by men to women in like circumstano.es; and, finally, as a last "brick," ho mentions that during the war soldiers', wives sought consolation with other men. The undoubted fact that some soldiers acted similarly with other women than their wives is,not .mentioned, but, perhaps, this is' because the Professor makes it,clear that men have a right to "erotic variety" which women have not. In all, the whole story is rather "priceless," to use a slang expression, and a writer in "John 0' London's Weekly" makes mincemeat of -the whole theoretical building set up by tho German gentleman. It would be interesting' to know what sort of women the Professor has met and associated with, during, his unfortunate life —for surely ho must have been terribly unfortunate to have met .women who gave him such ghastly ideas,of the sex. Likewise his acquaintance with the operating table must have been theoretical rather than real. Still, it takes all sorts of peoplo to, make a world, and doubtless the Professor has his place. There are two phases of life which are curious. One is among the people who cannot bear to be alone for a moment; they must have company, or they are nervy, obsessed with a vague fear of something—they aro not quite sure of what. The ordinary sounds of the house—the "voices of the night," which are 'so beautiful to some, are a distress to them, and they will get any company sooner than none. The other phase is among those who arc restless and disturbed directly the smooth surface of life is ruffled by the slightest breeze from other folks. The prospect of a visitor, of having to go among others, tho deviation from tho usual — all is oppressive, uncomfortable;- disturbing. These two phases of thought and way of life.are deeply interesting, and while extremes are seldom desirable, there ia something to be said for each. The woman who "mixes" well usually keepsyoung and bright, and is an asset to her day and generation, but is apt to be superficial. Tho solitary one, on the other hand, has time for contemplation' and high thought, and that, according to the best writers on religions matters, is an absolute necessity if )|he mind and soul are to bo cultivated to the greatest, advantage. It is not easy -to reach up to tho skies in thought, and meditation is the best way to accomplish this, but if the mind is merely set on trivialities, it had better be- about the world looking for service to humanity.- But the value of a certain amount of quiet time for thought and upliftment of the mind is great, and it is a pity in the rush of life to-day that more time cannot be spared for this contemplation.