Evening Star Newspaper, April 5, 1925, Page 74

THE SUNDAY ungle Facts, Found by Party Lives Under Primitive Conditions in Nicaragua While Members Study Monkeys in Search of New Light on Question of Environ- ment as Affecting Individual Characteristics— TWO Months Spent in Crude Huts, While Men Live on Such Jungle Fare as Fried Lizard, Venomous-Looking Iguana, Roast Monkey Meat and Armadillo—Reach Unanimous Ver- dict as to Conclusions From Thcir Researc]’l. THE ARMADILLO IS QUITE A JUNGLE DELICACY, AND THIS ONE l’RO\'l}}}l{) A GOOD MEAL. BY HAROLD K. EEKING lig ed t PHI1 the much-dis- t environment played an important role in developing the peculiar in- dividual differences to be found tn mod entbusiastic little group « ntists recently traveled te the primeval jungles of Central B here learned some star- lessons on the subject from rest of kin in the animal tha has tling ma; kingdom, After living for more than two months in leaf huts, subsisung on Dbills of fare that often included such dublous jungle delicacies as fried lzard, venomous - looking iguana, roast monkey meat and armadillo sans armor, they have finally cgme back to clvilization with this message for science to puzzle its furrowed brow over: There are greater Individual differ- ences in monkeys dwelling In the same jungle than there are in indi- vidual men and women living in the twentieth century cities of taxicabs, radio and steam yachts—so that en- vironment certalnly does mot neces- sarily affect the individual. This was the unanimous verdict of the observ- ers. A new riddle for this generation to solve! In fact, what the scientists learned In the dark, steamy jungles of Nica- ragua corroborates the earlier find- ings of the embryologists—that the so-callgd environmental differences beween individul adults are just as marked in the growing embryo as they are in the finished product called man. And that the gap between man and monkey {s no greater than that botween the human embryo and the t person into which it eventually evolves Under this thcory twins, after all. The anatomist could find marked differences in plentiful numbers i he « to look for them. In other words, none of us are identi- oal, and many of the differences are sither definite reminders of the past from which we have emerged or in- dications of the future into which we are going—sign posts along the road of evolution. twins are not * % % * N the party were Dr. Adolph . Schultz of the department of em- bryology of the Carnegie Institu- tion of Washington; Dr. George B. Wislocki, assistant professor of a omy at the Medical College of John Hopkins University, in Baltimore 0. Heard, ulso of the department embryology of the Carnegie Institu- tion, and Dr. i, F. Snyder of Roch ter University. As far as Bluefields, party traveled in more or less luxury, Disembarking at the little Central American port, however, they board- ed schooner for Prin very edge of the Nicarag jungles in which dwell the monkeys that were to teach them the answ to the questions they sought to solve. All went well armed for the hazardous journey into the interior. At Princa Polka Dr. Schultz and his colleagues organized a party con- sisting of seven native Indians, 11 altogether, including the sclen- They d the natives of Princa Polka living in the most prim- itive fashion, although the town's sidewalks were built of solid ma- hogany. The homes, however, were grass-thatched affairs and the main industry was logging mahogany and picking bananas when the population was not sleeping, which was most of the time Using native canoes made of hol- lowed-out logs, the scientists struck out up the Princa Polke River for the heart of the jungle. Scarcely had ey entered the swampy forests, however, when Dr. Snyder was strick- en with' the dreaded malaria fever. He was hurried back to Princa Pol- ka In the care of several trusty na- tives, and the rest of the party, un- dsmayed by this unfortunate reverse, continued up the river. Their mission was primarily two- fold: First, to obtain a series of mon- keys from the same environment for the purpose of determining, if pos- sible, whether individual differences in simians are as marked as in man, and second, to study growth curves and laws regulating growth in mon- keys. There were some subordinate things the members of the party hoped to accomplish, among them be- ing measurements of the native Nic- araguan Indians and the collection of a number of species of bats for the National Museum here, Dr. Schultz purposely chose the worst season of the year, the rainy season, to make the trip, because it is at that time that monkeys in that part of the world breed. The investi- gation he was engaged in necessi- Nies the tated. smcollection not-only-of-adult, They, Were-nok stricken<dn. QVOLY, Jo~ and baby monkeys, but simian em- bryos as well. He gathered, in all, 350 specimens of all ages and varie ties, some of which have proved in- valuable in his work since. In most instances Dr. Schultz made his anatomical researches on the spot. He was concetned not only in the preservation of the victims' skulls, but also many organs and nerve cen- ters. A few he pickled intact, and to spend an hour In his laboratory is al- most equivalent to going through a nightmare. From floor to ceiling every wall is striped with shelves. From them grin the hideous skulls of man and monkey alike, Fow upon row, score after score. Punctuating these seemingly end- less rows of hideous reminders of the work science is doing are big jars of “pickled” monkeys, submerged in the fluid that preserves them indefinitely. * X X % D= SCHULTZ can tell you some- thing of the history of many of his exhibits. One of the human skulls, for instance, once adorned the neck of a Chinaman who was decap- itated for an offense against one of the feudal lords of his native China. One of the most interesting species of monkey, from the standpoint of the layman at least, Dr. Schultz found in the Nicaraguan jungles was the “howler monkey.” Tt is so named because by the judiclous use of an exaggerated sort of Adam's apple it can howl so lustily that it fairly wakes the forests with fits throaty appeals. In a photograph it looks for all the world like a disgruntled old man. Soon after settling in camp Dr. Schultz came upon one of these howl- ers. When a carefully aimed rifle bullet brought it to earth it was found to be the mother of a likely- looking youngster, which was easily captured allve and named “Tas.” Why the name no one knows, but Tas soon became the pet of the camp and took quite contentedly to the ease and attentions it recelved in the somewhat civilized outpost that had been established. Ta: stomach, however, soon proved to be its undoing. By means of a long syringe Dr. Schultz fed it nice, warm milk. Tas quickly de- veloped the throaty bellow of its an- cestors, despite its tender age, and did not take long in learning that its yelps brought quick action when it was not fed frequently and promptly. One day while Dr. Schultz was out hunting more specimens, however, Tas velped too loudly and an over- fond attendant gave the poor little fellow too much milk. Now Tas occuples one of those “pickle” jars in Dr. Schultz’s laboratory. Whatever modern man may think of his plight in being obliged to live in rather crowded city quarters, and however he may bemoan the condi- fon of his health, as a result of being taken from the forests, whers we are told our ancestors once fol- lowed the avenues of the tree tops, he may well pity the poor monkeys. Leading the natural life in the pure air and the abundant sunlight of the great open spaces does not save from disease. Moreover, they are susceptibla to much the same allments with which the “cliff-dwellers” of our citles are troubled. In fact, Dr. Schultz and his colleagues rather believe that civilization Is much maligned when it is shouldered with the blame for breeding the germs that aflict us to- day. It is considered rather signifi- cant that monkeys, which, perhaps, never before saw a human being, suf- fer from the same scourges, and to a much greater degree. For instance, the jaunty little sim- fan that swings happily from limb to limb may be deftly concealing by his carefree manner a throbbing tooth- ache. At least, Dr. Schultz found, after a study of the skulls he brought back from Nicaragua, that a lot of dentists could do a tremendous busi- ness in monkey-land. Dentists, in- deed, are most badly needed there. “The instances in which teeth were missing from monkey jaws because of abscesses were 5o numerous that I was surprised,” sald Dr. Schultz. “I had expected to find a certain amount of disease among the animals, but not to learn that they come so far from leading the sound and healthful existence that people imagine wild things lead.” * k ¥ * R. WISLOCKI studied 190 of the specimens for other diseases and found that screw-worm is quite & common aflment among monkeys. Many were also infested with larvae that had developed in their hides from the bites of tropical insects. “We found,” Dr. Wislock! said, “that almost all of the monkeys were {Il » ONE DAY'S BAG IN THE stance with diseases likely to their lives, nor did they appear to be dying off as a species; but they were almost 100 per cent parasitized.” “In practically every specimen,” he continued, “we found filarfasis, a dbs- ease produced by parasitic worms that tnvade the abdominal cavity. These parasites are much like those that affict human beings with elephan- tiasts, getting into the lymph glands and causing various parts of the body to swell to two or three ti thei normal size. From this cause chronic inflammation results, and fn some of the animals we found that the para- sites had brought on a condition quite like pleurisy.” Both Dr. Schulfz and Dr. Wislocki share the belief that if a group human beings were turned loose the jungles, to live free in a s of nature, they would not lose of the ills so often attributed to civ- ilization and city life. As a matter of fact, a study of the native Indians of Nicaragua disclosed that thelr troubles in their primeval surround- ings transcend even those of the monkeys. When Dr. Schultz set out to take measurements of all the pure blood- ed Indians he could find he was able to round up only 40, so rapidly are the tribes becoming extinct. Dr Schultz does not attribute this to in- termarriage among the nasive Spanfards and negroes. Pure bloode Indians ar 1l to be found in lated districts, but they are dying off rapidly from tuberculo: and tuber- cular pneumonia, he declared. Even one of the native guides died of pneumonia during the trip. It took the white men some to become accustomed to the of lizards and iguana, their guides devoured so eagerly they had tasted the reptiles, however, the scientists declared they found them not at ull unlike chicken, and eventually they became quite fond of a pouched reptile which could hav. traced its ancestry back to the ag. of the dinosaur. The armadillo dinne was quite an accident—especially for the armadillo. The little fellow strolled leisurely into camp one evening just before the men began to retire, When the hunters started for it, it made the mistake of emulating an ostrich, by burrowing its head in the ground, in- time WASHINGTON, D. , APRIL 35, 1925—PAR/ . C. Scientists, Applied to Evolution Theory Visitors From United States Assisted by Group of Native Indians in Their Investiga~ tions—Depart From Central American Town PORTRAIT OF AN ADULT HOWLER. end | GOING UP THE YAO-YA RIVER. stead of fleeing. The net result was armadillo stew the next evening, which the white men declared was quite delicious. Anteater was another delicacy at several meals. AUl during the trip the torrential tropical rain proved the scientists’ most constant danger. Rivers would often rise 15 or 20 feet in a single night and the jungle grows down to the water's edge. Many times the dense vegetation obscured the lfght of the sun, gigantic mahogany, cedar, wild fig, cottonwood and banyan trees forming & natural and fmpene- over the turbulent To the explorers, these arches were ever-waiting death traps. Once caught in such a tunnel, they might all have been drowned, and only the uncanny instinct of the guides in scenting the approaching rise of the river saved the party from disaster many times. For the white men to attempt to foretell one of these freshets was fruitless, but never once did the na- tives fail to get them to higher ground before nightfall, where they were comparatively safe from the water. *EE % ENOMOUS snukes offered constant menace to the travelers, but here, too, the vigilance and knowledge of woodcraft of the native guides stood the party in good stead. The natives went ahead of the sclentists, Tre- quently cutting their way through almost impenetrable jungle with thick bladed machetes, often haltng the party while they dispatched & serpent that hung walting from the branch of a tree, resembling more a harmless, vine than a polsonous reptile Alarm clocks in the Nicaraguan wilds would have been just about as as snowshoes. Scarcely had first streaks of dawn lighted the s of the trees when every bush and every twig seemed to become sud- denly alive. Monkeys by the thousands chattered back and forth, parrots screeched, and for half an hour the jungle rang with' incoherent bedlam. Then it suddenly ceased, and almost appailing silence reigned until sun- rize the next morning. Finally, the little group returned to civilization. Nine weeks were spent on the trip. In that time the sclen- tists had gathered Information of striking importance to the theory ot evolution. Not only had they ob- tained a fund of knowledge that might be applied to the human side of evolution, but they had traced the entire life cycie of three species of monkeys that inhabit.the Nicara- guan back country. They had set out to determine, it possible, whether individual diffe Maneuvers in Hawaiian Waters Now Under Way, Important to the Navy HTS, NOW IN HAWAIIAN WATER: ROM the day the United States acquired the Hawaiian Is- lands the ever-increasing im- portance of that group as the key of the defensive s of the country on its we board continually has becn stressed by naval and military experts who are responsible for carTying out that scheme of defen: In theory the Island of Oahu, upon which gradually have been centered the defensive arrangements for the entire group, s safe from capture, provided the American fleet is in the Pacific when the attack is made, Up to the present, however, this theo- retical invulnerability of Osahu has never been put to a practical test under conditions simulating those most likely to prevail in war. It is primarily to try out this theory that the largest naval concentration in the history of America Is now in the Pacific, préparing on a gigantic scale for operations of attack and defense under the nearest peace-time approach to actual war conditions which experts could devise. The mere presence of this huge naval force in the Pacific region has caused an outcry in the Far East against what some critics have been pleased to characterize as a war demonstration. As a matter of fact, announcement was made more than two years ago of plans involving a series of major joint Army and Navy exercises, designed to test the prin- cipal outlying defenses of the coun- try and to promote the efficiency of those two services. The first of these exercises took place at Panama in the Winter of 1922-23, in the course of which two forms of attack on the Panama Canal, with cor- responding defensive measures, were tried out During these maneuvers there was in operation an attacking fleet, consisting of nine of the latest type battleships, with a full comple- ment of such auxiliaries as the Navy possessed, or with substitutes provided for those vessels which were lacking. The second series of exercises in- volved the Panama Canal and the de- fenaive center known as Culebra. They took place in the Winter of 1923-24, and participating was a force of 12 modern battleships, even more auxiliary forces than in the previous mancuvers, and additional representatives of such new-type auxiliaries as the Navy was developing or anticipated deveioping. expeditionary force composed of ma- rines These two problems led up to the present huge series of operations, which, like the preceding tests, will be carried out by maximum naval forces, including an expeditionary or landing force of marines. The present maneu- vers, known as Army and Navy joint problem No. 3, are designed to simu- late an attack by a large naval force against the Hawailan Islands, with the intention of capturing Oahu and gain- ing control of the entire group. The attacking force will comprise practi- cally the entire United States fleet, consisting of 11 battleships, 6 light cruisers, 56 destroyers, 1 alrcraft carrier, 2 aircraft tenders, submarines, mine-layers and the so-called train, or supply vessels, * % % x A GAINST this armada will be pitted a defending force made up of the Army garrison in Oahu and the 14th Naval District forces. The motive of the problem is, first, to test the de- fenses of the Hawaiian Islands, and, second, to develop efficlency in co-op- eration between Army and Navy forces defending Oahu, and to increase the efficiency of the fleet as a whole. “Capture” of the island, according to the present theory, means that an assumed enemy would have a base from which to attack in any direction in the Pacific or against any weak point of the coast of the United States. At the same time, possession by a hostile force of Oahu would preclude successful operation of an American naval force away from the United States coast. ‘With the islands held by us, it would mean that no hostile force could advance safely past the area controlled by an American fleet based on Hawall, while at the same time this key point would facilitate the operation of an American fleet in any direction in the Pacific. For exam- ple, a fleet steaming from the United States to the Philippines would be compelled to refuel at Hawall, which is directly on the line of advance and 2,100 miles nearer Manila than is San Francisco. There is no secure harbor other than Honolulu and Pearl Har- bor in that part of the world which would be adequate to accommodate any considerable part of the Ameri- can fleet. As a naval base Pear] Har- bor is now in process of development, but it is not known whether its pres- for a large fleet, and it is already known that if any emergency arose the facilities would have to be en- larged materially. These questions, it is hoped, will be answered, at least in part, in the course of the manecu- vers, when u considerable naval force will be based on both harbors for about two months. Another important result expected from the Pacific maneuvers is the actual demonstration of the worth of naval aircraft and the value of land afrcraft as a defense against this form of attack from the sea. Thus, these tests are expected to contribute some tangible conclusions in the ever- growing discussion, both public and in the military services, of the rela- tive value of aircraft and dread- naughts in national defense. As a matter of fact, officials point out, the Pacific manuevers will furnish the first practical test on a large scale of the soundness of the contentions now being advanced by ex-Brig. Gen. Willlam Mitchell of the Army Air Service, In furtherance of this phase of the maneuvers, the Navy has brought to- gether the largest modern naval air force of its history, to be utilized in every conceivable way in carrying out the various missions of the mili- tary and naval forces involved. For example, there are the familiar types of spotting and observation planes, the long-distance scouting craft, car- rying large crews; the fast naval fighting planes, which will be used to drive off defending air forces, to make way at sea for the sweeping at- tack of the newly developed torpedo plane, and many types of the much heralded aerial bombers. * Xk ¥ ¥ Al LLABORATING in these experi- ments and developments of the use of air power will be the picked squadrons of the Army air force sta- tioned in the Hawalian Islands, aided by anti-aircraft batteries on the ground, which have the reputation of being the most expert of this branch of the service in the American Army. The Navy air forces will be com- posed almost exclusively of types and cratt developed in the last two years, but for varfous reasons will not be accompanied by the most spectacular craft of any air force, the Shenan- doah and the Los Angeles, largest dirigible airships in the world. The Navy's air force will be handi- ZThe-problem. included, the wse of salent projected- facllities are sufiicient!capped in-only one merious-sespecty A which is that it will have no real air- craft carriers of the type authorized by the Washington naval treaty and now actually in commission princi- pally in the British navy. The Amer- ican fleet will be accompanied by one extemporized carrier, the Langley, with possibly other vessels simulat- ing the functions of this important type of craft. In addition, of course, each battleship has facilities for a limited number of planes which are designed to “take off” from turrets or elsewhere, and to function primarily as a part of the ship to which they are assigned. Against Army aerial bombers op- erating from the shore the Navy ships will rely for protection, in addition to their air force, on improved anti- aircraft batteries, about which little has been made public, but which have the popular reputation of being somewhat more proficient than those of the Army, owing to the fact that they are more modern, both as to gun power and mechanism. As de- tails of these experiments, opportu- nitles will be offered for testing the latest developments in smoke screens, gas barrages and similar devices. The all-important function of um- piring these maneuvers will devolve upon_a picked corps of high Army and Navy officers, who will be di- vided between the offensive and de- fensive forces and will collaborate in reaching a final decision. These umpires Include Admiral R. E. Coontz, commander-in-chief of the nited States combined fleet, Who is a native of Missouri, and who has had much service in the Pacific. He was once Governor of the Island of Guam, which he helped to capture. There will also be Maj. Gen. John L. Hines, chief of Staff of the United States Army, a native of West Vir- ginia, and an officer characterized by Secretary of War Weeks as one of the most brilllant leaders of troops the United States has ever produced, and holder of decorations both for bravery and merit, won in the World War. These two principal umpires will have numerous assistants. Preliminary operations leading up to the great concentration in Ha- wailan waters in April, May and June began in a series of “engage- ments” off Lower California late in February, after which the two op- posing fieets combined for the crulse to Hawail. N g (Copyright, 1925, sn Affairs News! Bervian) Whose Sidewalks A Built of Mahog- re any — Lively Experience With the “"Howler Monkey™—Simians Found to Be Subject to Various Forms of Disease Notwithstanding Their Life in the Open—Scicncc Believed to Have Obtained Benefit esting Experiments. A FULL-GCROWN ANTEATER C were learned they marked that ir more as in man Nicars so. T ment has anything to do with these es in human beings, it ap- failed to halt similar monkeys, for all of the sy y examined were captured ir environment disc sel But the embryologist claims that man need no longer travel to monkeyland for proofs of the history of our evolution. There he can find the existence of defi 1 es, It Is true, but e 1 tell you, carries 1&g evidence of our progressi from something lower to a s higher than our present being “Examine yourself," s the Schultz puts it. He says man may longer laugh scientist point to the monkey’ proof of our relationship simian. Embryology has proved that every human being, to qu Dr. Schultz, once had & tail. At tha age of six weeks the tail of the human embryo is quite plain, and every once in a while a child is actually born with a tail, some reaching a length of six inches. As the child progresses toward th period of birth, he say tall gradually moves upward and comes the lower end of the spine. This progression upward continues even in the human adul In <o of the higher apes—the orang-utan of Borneo, for instance—this reces- sion of the tail continues to a greater degree than in man. A normal man has five cavela vertebrae, but an orang-utan has but three or four, and sometimes only two. Primitive primates had as many as 25. Right here it might be well to make clear the scientist's real view as to the relationship between man and monkey. He does not claim that we were necessarily once monkeys. Rather he believes man and monkey originated from the same stem, the progen: of common ancestors, and that the two are certainly cousins in the blood. And if you don’t like that, the embryologist offers reasons why the monkey himself should disdain relationship with us. * % x X% seemingly pitiful little monke! t sits perched on the squeaky music box of the organ- grinder. As he hops hopelessly to the ground and doffs his ludicrous little red cap in the expectation of having a penny dropped in it for his master, he certainly does not look like anything to proud of as a relation. But that little fellow's brain is a good deal heavier than your own, in proportion. The next time you go out to the Zoo Park stop in front of the spider monkey’s cage and notice the size of his thumb. You will discover that it Is just visible, There is an interest- ing lesson in that condition of how Mother Nature takes care of all. Fi the scientist declares the common ancestors of men and monkeys all had thumbs. If you have ever exercised in the gymnasium you will remember that one of the first things you were taught while swinging on the cross-bars was not to use your thumb. Had you swung with your thumb gripping the bars you probably would have oroken it. Most monkeys, of course, do a lot of such swinging from the branches of trees, and they learned long centuries ago not to use their thumbs. Since that member was a detriment rather than a help to the monkeys, nature gradually is eliminating it Already it has almost entirely disap- peared from the spider monkey and you will notice that the thumb of the orang-utan, which occuples the same cage here at the Washingion Zoological Park, is scarcely more than a knob. In many other monkeys, mostly the species that keep to the treetops, the extremely diminutive thumb also is quite noticeable. So, if you are going to climb a tree, take a tip from the monkeys—don't use your thumb. Now—"Examine yourself!” Have you wisdom teeth? If so, the anthropologist will tell you that is a reminder of your primitive past. In other words, to be frank, you simply do not represent as perfect a speciman of progress as the per- son who never grows wisdom teeth. Those big masticators were once use- ful to man because he had to chew much coarser food. They are gradual- ly disappearing now, however, as a result of our more tender diets. It is believed that future generations will probably have even fewer 'AKE the more prominent chin is held to be a result of a gradual recession ot his seeth, Look at an, elderly per~ S as Resu]t 0{ the Inter- APTURED BY THE SCIENTISTS. Tk | the course not v Al m longest, s pos! is still to | better progres Dangerous Cargoes. B 3 carried by the up-to-date ocean- going carmo Cargo boats to tc wide varlety of merchan astonishing. have holds that of small warehouses iything else. There are, however, v 1 s that can be for the troubls of cargo for remind one mors ieft to them- with nearly 1 in the and crew care passage the ention throughou > th fa about cept : hat will faces icult ship's « rsing of Even with all consignme able element ship has through coal danger if nd many a fine hout trace combustion fact, at one tin v score of ves- Aust the disappea sels on the to Valparaiso cause. ¥ blew up for not Railwz of tons destina forms a ty is loaded £ hold, it req was York for various ho Mediterranear example. When tt hion fn a ship's lahors of a gang of men working throughout to wedga it securely together, for a 20-foot pleco of railway Iro a dangerous thing have adrift in & Wi hold, and on more than one oc when this has happened a particu larly heavy roil has driven it en through her shell plating. Manganese, iron or copper makes another dreaded cargo, although only a little is carried in each hold, it entirely lacks buoyancy, and once the ship is holed she sinks like @ stone. Cotton and hemp are dangerous cargoes, too, for a spark from tho vessel's funnel will set them blazing. Rice from Rangoon has to be elab- orately stowed, plerced by trunkways, raised from the hold bottom on dun- nage wood, and, under all circum- stances, kept watertight, even though the ship is awash with heavy seas on every deck. What is going to happen to 5,000 tons of rice in a close com- partment once it gets wet is fairly obvious. All kinds of grain, especially wheat, are subject to shifting. That is to say, a vessel will leave New York full of bulk grain and then in & heavy sea a partition between compartments will break and away goes an ave- lanche of grain with a rush all to one side of the ship and so over she goes on her side, a prey to every sea that comes along. This has happened in port on several occa- sions and men caught beneath the running grain have been dug out hours later dead. to a is - For Wife of Prince. HOULD the Prince of Wales marry his wife will receive an annuity of $50,000 from the British govern- ment, and should she survive her husband this annuity will be im< creased. Lo $150,0004 %