THE HISTORY OF MAN

Evening Star, Issue 18335, 24 July 1923, Page 7

THE HISTORY OF MAN

ANTHROPOLOGIST’S OPINIONS. LONDON, July 9. Professor Grafton E. Smith, the famous Australian anthropologist, told a representative of the Sydney ‘Sua’ that ho regretted intensely 'that ho woul.l ba unable to visit Australia to attend tho PanPacific Conference. Ho says that the conference is extremely important to anthropologists, and remarks that its being held in Australia shows that tho Commam wealth appreciates its bearing on the problem of dealing with tin native populations of Oceania entrusted to its care.

It is _a question not only of collecting, beioro it is to-" late, tho fast disappearing native loro, which is so important in re-constructing-the history of civilisation, but also of using such information to ensure the comfort and prosperity of those peoples. Tho problem of man’s history in Oceania, which tho, conference will discuss, has a oloso bearing on an anthropological dispute, since it affords a .test by which tho tnm history of tho world’s civilisation can be determined.

“ Most anthropologists,” said tho professor, “ believe that civilisation developed sporadically and independently in various parts of the world. Others contend that civilisation was diffused throughout tho world fiom ono primary centre. I am personally convinced that investigations in tho Pacific will establish tho truth cf tho latter contention, and will settle tho dispute regarding tho origin of tho early civilisations of Mexico and Peru, We of tho new school of anthropology believe that tho germs of civilisation were carried across tho Pacific to America between the third and tenth centuries of tho Christian era, largely through Tahiti and tho Caroline Islands from tho Alalay Archipelago and Cambodia, which received their civilisation a few. centuries earlier from India. India derived its civilisation from Babylonia and Egypt. It is to he hoped that tho conference will inaugurate 7i definite scheme of research for the continuation of work on these problems,”