the tall bronze figures from Dark Africa with which we have of late
become familiar, their almost fine-cut features, slightly arched nose,
long hair, etc., and you have an example of the problems pressing for
solution. In other respects, too, the genuine African of the interior
bears no resemblance to the accepted Negro type as it figures on drug and
cigar store signs, wearing a shabby stovepipe hat, plaid trousers, and a
vari-colored coat. A stroll through the corridors of the Berlin Museum of
Ethnology teaches that the real African need by no means resort to the
rags and tatters of bygone European splendor. He has precious ornaments of
his own, of ivory and plumes, fine plaited willow ware, weapons of superior
workmanship. Justly can it be demanded 'What sort of civilization is this?
Whence does it come?'"

It is also pointed out that one of the most important contributions to the
civilization of mankind was very probably made by the Negro race. This was
the invention of the smelting of iron. The facts brought forward to
support this view are: that no iron was smelted in Europe before 900 B.C.;
that about 3000 B.C., there began to appear on the Egyptian monuments
pictures of Africans bringing iron from the South to Egypt; that at a time
considerably later than this iron implements began to appear in Asia; that
there is no iron ore in Egypt; and that in Negro Africa iron ore is
abundant. In many places it is found on top of the ground and in some
parts it can be melted by simply placing a piece of ore in the fire very
much as you would a potato to be roasted.

Studies in the fields of ancient and medieval history are also showing
that in the past there were in Negro Africa civilizations of probable
indigenous origin which attained importance enough to be mentioned in the
writings of the historians and poets of those periods. The seat of one of
the highest of these civilizations was Ethiopia. Here the Negro nation
attained the greatest fame. As early as 2,500 years before the birth of
Christ the Ethiopians appeared to have had a considerable civilization. It
was well known to the writers of the Bible and is referred to therein some
forty-nine times. In Genesis we read of Cush, the eldest son of Ham. Cush
is the Hebrew word for black and means the same as Ethiopia. One of the
most famous sons of Cush was Nimrod, whom the Bible mentions as being "a
mighty hunter before the Lord; whereof it is said, like Nimrod, a mighty