Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-07-04
CHEMICAL GENERATION OF LIFE.
Futile Efforts of Scientists to Destroy
the Divine Monopoly.


washington Post.
FOR To- these many years divers and sun
ory deVotees OF biological science have been
laboring with the most assiduous zeal IN
aDollsh the most important difference or
distinction between the divine and the
human. Their modest ambition has bae,
to accomplish this abolition by DESTROYING
the divine monopoly Of the creation of
ire They have aimed, in a humble wav.
10 enter into partnership with 1.-THE great
hrst cause AS yet they have not at
tempted the creation Of mon or any Of the
inferior animals OF ponderous proportions.
II credulous persons have been induced by
their announcements to keen an eve on
their laboratories, with the expectation OF
seeing candidates for admission TO found
ling asylums or troops of baby elephants
issuing therefrom, they have been disap-
pointed; but these tireess toilers have
claimed and are still claiming to have
created life. II they had done that, evo-
iutlon might have taken up their work
and, in time, produced all sorts and va
rieties and conditions Of living creatures.
Milton, in his immortal work, tells of a
parsonage who was envious OF the Deity
He trusted to have equaled the Most
High, If He opposed" thus aspiring to
set himself In glory above his peers" we
are told that he raised impious war in
heaven" But we read further, concern
Ing this too ambitious asplrant for power
ana fame that Him, the Almighty Power
hurled headlong, flaming through the ether
cal medium down TO bottomless perdition
there to dwell in adamantine chains" The
reader will, Of course exercise his indis-
putable right of private judgment as to
the historical accuracy OF Millions account
or that war and It's results, but we think
It will be conceded with practical unani.
nifty that II there Is as much OF truth az
OF poetry in It, these alleged life-creating
scientists would do well 20 give Il their
serious consideration.
AS the latest phase OF this feature OF
biological research, we note the announce
ment in New York contemporary that
another scientist. this time not a Chi
cagoan, but Prof. Burke OF Cambridge
thinks he has hit the trail which leads to
the demonstration that animal life can
be created by chemical action, and with
the aid Of radium spontaneous genera ton
is possible" Chemical scientists have
performed innumerable wonders; their work
has been one OF the great factors OF
human progress; It is still going onward
and upward; It is likely 10 continue its
benehcent career for ages TO come. But
human achievements I'm chemistry. grand
eAAN HlAi NNAhAS a. Ailt9 are are sun Out
a cipher brought against inhnity" as COM
pared with what the Divine Chemist has
been doing always since time began, in
field and woods, on glade and hill, on the
lawn, IN the garden, vineyard and orchard,
and, in fact, on every spot OF earth where
vegetable life exists And this divine
work is as inexplicable today as It was
at creations dawn; the wisest of Gods
human creatures have little more knowl-
edge OF how II is performed than Is pos
sessed by the unlearned or by the beasts
Of the field, or the fowls OF the air. II
strikes us that II Prof. Burke OF Cam,
bridge, and some other professors, all OF
whom are so impotent in life-creating that,
with unlimited time and money, they could
not put a single breath OF life into a dead
fly, would direct their attention for time
10 the chemistry OF nature, they might do
better service for humanity than they are
likely TO render in their effort 20 "hnd out
God" and enter into a business partnership
with Hin IN His greatest and most mys-
FERROUS speciality.