Eugenics as a Creed and the Last Decade of Galton's Life 297 



He wanted his Eugenic Office to show immediate results; and just for this 

 reason I had stood as far as possible aloof from it, except when he or his 

 assistants directly consulted me on statistical points. Further, who was I to 

 advise him ? You cut off all the suggestiveness, all the power of original 

 productivity of a man of genius, if you recommend him to follow your own 

 dull, laborious and commonplace methods of attaining truth. But matters 

 were now reaching a crisis; there was certainly no obvious successor to 

 Schuster, Galton felt incapable of further personal supervision, and there 

 was a possibility that the seedling he had planted, which might otherwise 

 develop great academic branches of study, might perish as a sapling for lack 

 of careful tending. I felt that my only chance of giving effective aid was to 

 put clearly before him the difference in our modes of approach to the same 

 goal. 



7, Windsor Terrace, The Hoe, Plymouth. Oct. 24, 1906. 



My dear Karl Pearson, This afternoon I have (1) moved into the above lodgings, 

 (2) received your letter, (3) received Schuster's reasons for resigning. I am far from fit, but 

 the bronchitis is quite gone. I expect to be here for at least Nov 1 ' <& Dec r . I have lent 

 4"J, Rutland Gate to some relatives during these months. The £ — for the Weldon medal and 

 premium (?is the bust to come out of this) is a substantial sum, and I congratulate you on 

 your persuasive powers. Don't now let any conditions that I made at the beginning hamper 

 your action. I feel quite sure that you will do the right thing. If Oxford refuses, and then 

 London University accepts, I am not at all sure that it would not be a gain to the cause. 



Schuster's brief letter of resignation surprised me, so I wrote nicely to ask for reasons, 

 which he has given fully in the sense of what you wrote to me. I am not fit now for effort, 

 and am inclined to ask the Senate not to fill the vacant appointment yet. I wish that somehow 

 it [the Eugenics Record Office] could be worked into your Biometric Laboratory, but I am far 

 too ignorant of the conditions to make a proposal. If any feasible plan occurs to you, pray 

 tell me ; it is almost sure to have my hearty acquiescence. I have of course followed with all 

 possible interest Lister and you, and look forward to his answer in to-morrow's Nature*. 

 He will probably try to raise a different issue, but I am sure you are far too cautious to follow 

 any red herring dragged across the path. Also I have just read your letter in the Times on 

 Sidney Webb's topic. Excuse more as I am rather tired. 



Affectionately yours, Francis Galton. 



I am so glad you approve of Schuster's recent work, which he will send me in due time. 



University College, London. Oct. 25, 1906. 



My dear Francis Galton, I am sorry indeed to hear you are still ailing, and trust you 

 are taking all care of yourself. I want to add one or two points to my letter of yesterday. 



Weldon Memorial Fund. The bust fund is now about £240 ; the medal and premium fund 

 about £870. I want to raise the former to £300 and the latter to £1000. Personally I should 

 like to maintain the condition which I think you originally suggested that the prize should be 

 international. I believe that not only shall we thus get good men, but that the subject will 

 attract new workers everywhere. If the prize be confined to the members of one university, 

 we shall get very little but small academic essays. 



Next as to Schuster : you will remember that you wrote to me when I was in Yorkshire, 

 asking if I could suggest any work for him, as he was coming to the end of his material 



* Mr Lister, as President of the Zoological Section of the British Association for this year, 

 had made a strong attack on Biometry. This was clearly within his competence, but as illustra- 

 tion of the futility of biometricians, he cited matters from Dr Pearl's paper on Paramecia, 

 which he had only seen confidentially as a referee, and which the Royal Society had settled 

 not to print, nor had it at that date lieen published elsewhere. It was a repetition of the 

 Homotyposis memoir indiscretion. 



p G III 38 



