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 advisee 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'' & Deer. I have lent 42, Rutland Gate to some relatives during these months. The £- for the Weldon medal and premium (4 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 sureyou 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 illustration 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 been published elsewhere. It was a repetition of the Homotyposis memoir indiscretion.

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