Eugenics as a Creed and the Last Decade of Galton's Life 381 



42, Rutland Gate, S.W. April 26, 1909. 



My dear Karl Pearson, Yea, do come on Saturday. Tell me beforehand at what hour 

 I may expect you? The doctor has forbidden my going into the country again just now, at 

 which I feel much relieved, not feeling up to moving again so soon. All you say of what you 

 have published and are about to publish of course interests me greatly. 



Affectionately yours, Francis Galton. 

 I return the "cuttings" with many thanks. 



7, Well Road, Hampstead, N.W. May 2, 1909. 



My dear Francis Galton, I owe you a word of apology and Miss Biggs also. It was not 

 till I got to the Station that I realised how late it was. You, I fear, must have found our talk 

 very trying, but the time went so quickly that T was quite unconscious of how stupidly I was 

 tiring you. You must put it down to your own power of not wearying others and forgive me ; 

 but if I come again T will keep my watch out ! My heart was very full at seeing you so fixed 

 to your chair, but ten minutes' talk showed me that you were really as active as ever and that 

 consoled me. The wonderful part of life is that the problems are so manifold and as long as 

 we retain our mental curiosity, there is no cessation to our activity or to the pleasure of life. 

 I have felt this even in moments of physical disablement. 



I have been thinking over the difficult)' I saw was in your mind about the future, I hope 

 the very distant future, of the Eugenics Laboratory. You must remember that at present the 

 training in statistics does not lead to paid positions. It is beginning to, but the posts available 

 are few and the best men who want to get on in life won't enter this field. But if your 

 Foundation ever becomes a reality, there will be something for a strong man to look forward 

 to, and this will act itself as an inducement. Also the time is coming when governmental and 

 municipal work will demand men of the kind we are training. We are only a little bit (not 

 very much) ahead of public needs. My strong view is that in a very few years there will be 

 plenty of good men in this field. Now might it not be well to give the University a few years' 

 grace, if the authorities thought fit to use it, before appointing a professor, after the endow- 

 ment becomes actual ? This would suffice to bring men into the field and save the University 

 from the need of making an immediate appointment, if the right man were not forthcoming at 

 once. Lecturers could be appointed for a year or two, and the Library extended and developed. 

 For example, a period of five years fixed, in which the University would have time to look 

 round, and until a professor was appointed 50°/ o of the endowment might be used for con- 

 tinuing the Eugenics work by lectureships, etc., and 50°/ o go towards a permanent endowment 

 for publication and library funds. I believe that this period might never be used at all, or only 

 some of it, but it would save the University from a compulsory appointment if the right man 

 were not ripe for the work at the first opportunity. I feel so strongly that you have in this 

 matter just met a great future need, that one would deprecate any first appointment which 

 would not be an all-round success, or of appointing someone who would not be willing to make 

 use of all the material and the connections which the Laboratory has now established. Given 

 a few years' grace and the man will be forthcoming. In the last four or five years I have had at 

 least two or three really strong men pass through my hands, but I could not frankly say : "Stick 

 to statistics and throw up medicine or biology because there is some day a prize to be had." 

 I feel sure, however, with a future, such men will naturally turn to Eugenics work. Only this 

 last winter one of my American students said : " I wish I could go in for Eugenics, but my 

 bread and butter lies in doing botanical work. I know that definite posts are there available." 

 And that was precisely the case with Raymond Pearl, who has now got the control of an 

 Agricultural State Breeding Station — he was far keener on man than on pigs and poultry, but 

 the public yet has not realised that it needs breeding also ! Well, if you will only make up your 

 mind to stay with us a few more years this will right itself ! There must be sooner rather 

 than later a government statistical bureau, and this will demand trained statisticians. Once 

 we have a flow of such men who mean to make statistics their profession in life, there will be 

 ample material to select from. At present the biometrician is the man who by calling is 

 medical, botanical or zoological, and he dare not devote all his enthusiasm and energy to our 

 work. The powers that be are against him in this country. 



