10 CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON. 



sibly be used. There were thus the amplest of opportunities 

 for the generation of misunderstandings between the partisans 

 of equally worthy but necessarily rival or conflicting interests; 

 and a saving sense of humor, as well as great patience, was 

 needed to enable one to see that all of the admirably desirable 

 aims suggested could not be realized simultaneously. Inevitably, 

 in spite of his theory and practice to the contrary, some of these 

 conflicting interests were pressed by their advocates upon Mr. 

 Carnegie for his decision. But he never deviated from the 

 uniform practice of relegating all such matters for final determ- 

 ination to the Trustees of the Institution. He not infrequently 

 expressed opinions, pro or con, with respect to questions under 

 consideration, but he disclaimed authority and often cautioned 

 his coadjutors against the dangers of personal bias on his part. 

 The rare wisdom of this Uberal attitude toward a research 

 establishment has been verified repeatedly in the history of the 

 Institution. In the nature of things it was destined to venture 

 into many undertakings that would appear debatable, or even 

 hazardous, to those who had not given them special attention. 

 Doubts, indeed, were entertained, properly enough, by Mr. 

 Carnegie, and by many highly esteemed contemporaries, with 

 regard to the practicability and the ultimate value of such pro- 

 jects as the Solar Observatory, the Geophysical Laboratory, the 

 Magnetic Survey of the Earth, and the larger projects generally 

 of the Institution. To those even whose duty appeared to 

 require vigorous and sustained support for these undertakings 

 there was an element of doubt, while there was a degree of hazard 

 to those especially who planned them, in the possibility that 

 sufficient time might not be granted to prove their feasibility 

 and to justify their costs. That Mr. Carnegie, as well as other 

 people, should entertain some misapprehensions in respect to 

 the aims and details of these complex matters was, therefore, 

 unavoidable. Thus, to cite a single example, which illustrates 

 his characteristic frankness and fairness, shortly before the 

 construction of the non-magnetic ship was authorized he 

 requested an interview in respect to quite other affairs than those 

 of the Institution. Before these were approached, however, 

 he proceeded to remark emphatically, "1 don't approve that 

 project you are urging for a non-magnetic ship." ''But," he 



