EARTH 



PREFACE 



AN earnest desire has been expressed in various 

 quarters that I should publish the lectures, which I 

 delivered in Berlin in February 1907, and so render 

 them accessible to those who did not actually hear 

 them, and that I should append to them a report 

 of the discussion to which they gave rise. I am the 

 more ready to comply with this request as many 

 persons who wished to hear the lectures in Berlin 

 were unable to do so, all the tickets of admission 

 having been sold a week before the delivery of the 

 first lecture. 



In the meantime a little work by Dr. Burdinski has 

 appeared, entitled ' The Struggle in Berlin regarding 

 the Cosmic Position of Man : A detailed report of 

 the lectures given by Father Wasmann, S.J., and 

 of the evening discussion on them, with critical 

 remarks.' Should, however, any one refer to this 

 work for a full and impartial account of my lectures, 

 he would be disappointed, and Dr. Burdinski's 

 report of the evening discussion is still more unsatis- 

 factory. This work is merely a superficial review, 

 written with the partisan spirit which characterises 

 the Vossische Zeitung, 1 nor did its publication 



1 In proof of this statement see the Germania, Nos. 79, 80, 81, of 

 April 7th to 10th, 1907, where a criticism of Burdinski's work will be 

 found. It does not call for further consideration here. 



