558 
NATURE 
[AuGusT I, 1912 
poor Papuan culture can be will be well appre- 
ciated by reading Mr, Wollaston’s description of 
these people, yet they use paddles for propelling 
their canoes, whereas it is very doubtful whether 
the Toro on the Bensbach River, forming the 
boundary of British and Netherlands New Guinea, 
know paddles at all, and they certainly propel 
their canoes in deep water by using their long 
bamboo punting poles as if they were paddles. 
Everywhere the expedition, which was clearly 
too large, was hampered by a lack of know- 
ledge of the country; a _ little preliminary 
surveying in a launch would have obviated this 
difficulty. Indeed, in spite of the money, some, 
alas! public, lavished on the expedition, the 
organisers seem to have made up their minds to 
ignore the experience of previous explorers. 
Much might have been done by the expedition 
had it been better planned, but Mr. Wollaston’s 
book, which must be taken as the official account 
of the expedition, and candidly admits the blun- 
ders made, shows that the somewhat scanty results 
attained are not in any way due to lack of energy 
or morale on the part of the members of the party, 
and every reader will join in wishing Mr. Wollas- 
ton good luck and all success on his second 
expedition to the country towards which he is now 
speeding. CAGASs 
THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL EUGENICS 
CONGRESS. 
I‘ is the general feeling of those who attended 
this Congress (which extended from July 24 
to 30) that it has been a complete success. A 
membership of about 750 is an indication of the 
widespread interest taken in the subject, though 
an analysis of motives might reveal that the large- 
ness of the number is partly due to other causes. 
In particular it can scarcely be doubted that the 
series of brilliant entertainments organised by the 
hospitality committee, under the secretaryship of 
Mrs. Alec Tweedie, was a bait which attracted 
many. 
It may be useful to give some account of the 
general trend of opinion, judged partly by the 
views expressed by the speakers and partly by 
the behaviour of the audience, in an assembly of 
sO many persons from so many countries, repre- 
senting all those, with one or two exceptions, who 
hold that eugenics is a subject of serious import- 
ance. 
The lead given by Mr. Balfour in his speech 
at the inaugural banquet in striking the keynote 
of diffidence and moderation was _ followed 
throughout the meeting. The application to 
human society of the methods found useful in the 
breeding pen is not advocated by the modern, 
eugenist, neither does he wish to see permanently 
confined or castrated all those whom he considers 
undesirable mentally, morally, or physically. He 
does not plead for the repeal of all humanitarian 
legislation or for a return to “the good old days 
of natural selection.”’ 
He only urges that the possible eugenic or 
dyogenic results of fresh legislation may be seri- 
NO. voL. 89| 
2 
228) 
ously considered, and that the business of parent- 
hood may be conducted by husbands and wives 
well informed as to their duties and regardful of 
their responsibilities to one another, to their 
children, and to the race. As a token of the feel- 
ing with regard to the latter point it may be men- 
tioned that such phrases as “the dignity of mother- 
hood” elicited applause as regularly as do the 
virtuous sentiments expressed by the heroine in 
melodrama. 
Since the idea of practical eugenics was first 
mooted, its scope has naturally been much in- 
creased, so that there is room for a greater 
variety of views among those who pronounce a 
sort of general blessing on the eugenic ideal. This 
variety is expressed, for instance, in differences of 
opinion as to the relative importance of ‘nature ” 
and “nurture.” A regrettable result has been 
to debase the meaning of the word “eugenic,” so 
that some speakers seemed to regard it as synony- 
mous for “hygienic,” whereas originally the two 
words were generally used in antithesis. 
The presidential address by Major Leonard 
Darwin (which follows) was a worthy prelude to a 
series of papers many of which were of consider- 
able interest and scientific importance. Among 
those which call for special mention are the follow- 
ing:—Mr. Raymond Pearl’s paper on the in- 
heritance of fecundity (in fowls); ‘‘La Fertilité 
des mariages suivant la profession et la situation 
sociale,” by M. Lucien March, Directeur de la 
Statistique Générale de la France. M. March’s 
work, based on the French census of 1906, adds 
materially to our knowledge of the subject in that 
he shows that although the rate of lower fertility 
in the higher social classes is generally true, ex- 
ceptions frequently arise from the fact that other 
influences, such as the actual nature of the pro- 
fession followed and the locality of domicile, pro- 
duce definite and well-marked effects. 
An admirable account was given by Mr. Bleecker 
van Wagenen of the preliminary report of the 
committee appointed by the Eugenic Section of 
the American Breeders’ Association to study the 
best practical means for cutting off the defective 
germplasm of the human population. The 
eugenic legislation carried into effect by permit- 
ting or enforcing in certain cases specific sterilisa- 
tion operations, in the several American States 
into’ which they have been introduced, was 
described, but not recommended. A considerable 
body of evidence as to the effect produced on the 
subject by such operations was summarised. 
In conclusion, it must be said that heartiest 
congratulations are due to the president, Major 
Darwin, and to the secretary, Mrs. Gotto, on the 
organisation of the Congress. They have the 
satisfaction of knowing that the hard work in- 
volved has had its justification and reward in its 
successful issue. The Congress cannot fail to 
have a wide effect in promoting general know- 
ledge of the aims of eugenists, and thus perhaps 
in meeting some of the undue criticisms which 
have been directed against them. 
Ee He Waase 
