The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-03-11
SCIENTISTS TELL
OF APE ANCESTRY
Thirteen SavantS Uphold EvO-
luton Theory.
SUPPORT DARWIN'S IDEAS.


In Essays Printed In tho Biblical
World They Describe All Proofs and
Show How Teachings Of Scriptures
Must Be ReeonoiIed With Scientific
Faots-one Sounds Alarm.
Famous scientists went on record re-
Gently to uphold the Darwinian theory
of mans evolution from the lower ami
mails. A symposium Of opinion of lead
ing savants of the United States gath
cred on behalf Of the Christian people
of the universe by Dean Shailer Math-
ews of the University of Chicago was
published in his magazine. the Biblical
World.
The magazine asked the question,
DO you believe in evolutionr' So far
it has received replies from thirteen
of the leading astronomers, geologists
and biologists Of America. All an
swers were affirmative. The conclu-
sion is drawn that Christians must rec
oncle the teachings Of the Bible to the
theory Of Darwin rather than to re-
fute 1t.
Sounds Warning to Christians.
An editorial preceding the views ex-
pressed by the scientists reads:
MANY earnest Christians are afraid
of evolution as something which will
destroy their faith in God and Jesus
Christ. Indeed, no thoughtful person
can fail to perceive the dangers to re-
ligious faith implied in certain philoso-
pliers which are based upon. evolution.
But such apprehensions are sometimes
expressed unfortunately. The public,
for instance, has been widely assured
that evolution has collapsed Such
an affirmation involves q question Of
fact. II evolution has collapsed scien-
lists, particularly astronomers, geolo-
gists and biologists, would be the first
to know.
IF 1t has not collapsed the religious
world must discover a way in which
evolution can be utilized as one of the
revelations Of Gods will. According
y, in order to get at the opinion Of the
scientific world, the Biblical World ask
GU Il VI lht VI
science to give an answer of not to ex-
ceed 100 words to the question, Does
modern science still believe in evolu-
tion?' The unanimity Of response
makes it apparent that our theological
thinking cannot ignore, much less
deny, the place evolution is holding in
our modern world. For Our own part,
we believe that, so far from being in
consistent with the gospel, evolution
furnishes one of the means by which
we may better understand the relations
Of God with this world" 80
Opinions of the Scientists.
Some of the opinions expressed by
the scientists are by William Patten,
professor of biology and zoology, Dart
mouth college: Evolution is the ac-
cepted doctrine Of the natural sciences
to the extent that it has long ceased to
be subject of debate in standard sci
entific journals or In the organized
conferences of men of science. 1t is no
longer question of whether this, that
or the other has. been evolved, but
L
was evolved. AS for biologists, they
are now further from agreement as to
what constitutes the processes and
conditions essential to organic develop
ment and further from mutual under
standing or from just appreciation of
both the supplementary and antago-
nistic views held by their colleagues
than they were a year ago.
"This is an index of real progress
along divergent lines, too rapid for the
pioneers to keep in constant touch with
each other or with the rear guard. The
brief reports of individual success or
failure on the frontier which from time
to time reach the public ear are, as
rule, unintelligible to the layman. They
are sometimes improperly utilized to
proclaim a general defeat or general
victory for this or that cause, to allay
partisan fear or encourage partisan
hope. Allow me, soldier in the ranks.
TO report that there is but one army in
the field, that the fight moves bravely
on toward the light and science and
humanity lead"
Firmness of Theory.
By Jacques Loeb, Rockefeller Insti-
tute For Medical Research, New York:
Modern science believes more firmly
than ever in evolution. Less is today
written on the subject than formerly
because modern biologists find it more
profitable to experiment than to argue
Two essential groups of data have
been added since the days Of Darwin
as the result of experimental work
First, 1t was shown through a blood
reaction which was discovered In con-
nection with work on immunity that a
close relationship exists between man
and anthropoid apes; second, breed
ing experiments by Mendelian meth
ods have established the fact of the in
dependent disappearance of hereditary
factors for unit characters in the