New-York tribune., 1919-08-10

oI--'1hs aug. ~ IOlcSSOi
Ernst Heinrich Haeckel, professor of
zoology in the University of Jena and
famous throughout the world for his
research work supporting the theory Of
evolution, died here to-day.
Ernst Heinrich Haeckel, who Charles
Darwin said in his preface to "The
Descent of Man." possessed fuller
knowledge of the doctrine Of evolution
than he did, was the foremost natural
list of the world at the time OF his
death 1t is not too much to say that
DR.. Haeclel Will rank with Darwin as
one of the greatest naturalists Of all
time. By his sturdy fight for Darwin
ism in Europe, and especially in Ger
many, he did more TO popularizc the
doctrine Of evolution than any other
exponent.
Haeckel was born in Potsdam, Ger
many. eighty-tive years ago. His
father was an eminent jurst and he
had mapped out career in medicine
for his son. Under the famous
Johannes Muller at Berlin and also at
Jena he studied medicine and the
natural sciences. Haeckcl's consuming
interest from the start was natural
science and he began tho study of ma
rine life in Heligoland, Messina and
Naples. In 1855 a special chair in
zoology was created for him at jena.
Spread Darwinism in Germany
In 1863 Haeckel addressed the meet
ing Of the Scientific Congress at
Stettn on Darwin's Origin of the
Species" which had just appeared. His
speech was the first IMPORTANT chal-
lcnge to conservative German science,
ard before that address tho Terrible
hcresy Of Darwinism had not been al
lowed to circulate freely in Germany.
Soon the clergymcu and moralsts of
Germany found their Greatest o onent
was this man who spoke of shcls and,
protoplasla and denied any ACTIVITY
upon the part of the divine prov ldencc
HacckeIs tirst great book, published
when he was thirty-two years Old
General Morphology,' was praised
highly by HuXlvy as an admirable at
cations Of the doctrine Of revolution
HaeckeIs theories caused great e.
citemcnt in Germany. and he wa
forced to igkt what amounted to q
scientific duel with Rudolph Nirchow
In fact, the controversy almost led TO
physical force many times during
Haeckel's life.
Upheld Missing Link
jiaeckcl declared that the individual
organism was IN It's development
ming up OF the notifications of
many generations Of ancestors.
HaccEel was also The first to draw up
genealogical tree, showing the re
lationship Of the various orders Of
animals. He read a famous paper be-
fore the Fourth international Zoologi-
cal Congress held At Cambridge. Eng
land, in 1898, in which he traced the
human race in twenty-siX stages, rang
ing from structureloss masses Of pro
toplasm to chimpanzecs and the Ia
nous sPilhecanthropus orectus.' which
was discovered in Java in 1894, and
which Haeckel mad imagined ten years
pcrvious to its actual discovery He
held this animal to be the missing
hn5 between primitive man and The
anthropoid apes.
Haeckcl applied his doctrines 10
philosophy and religion He held that
the highest forms Of mind were
evolved from the soul Of brute beast.
and this knowledge led him TO deny the
immortality of. the soul and the exist
ence Of d God. lie created q religion OF
his own, based on his philosophical
conception OF the origin OF the uni
verse. which he called "Monism" These
theories were eXpounded in what was
Haeckel's most famous book, "Thc
Riddle of the Universe" This book
caused storm of protest among
ciergymcn, both in this country and
abroad.
Haeckel regarded physiology as
merely branch OF physiology, and he
held that every living cell had a mental
hte, and that the psychic life Of man
was the sum total of the many or
Sanisms Of which he is composed.
Haeckel was highly honored in many
countries. The street III which his
house stands IN Jena is called Ernst
laeckclstrasse. On the anniversary OF
ms siXtleth birthday a marble bust
was set up IN his honor in The 70
illogical institute at Jena. and com
mlttee Of EnGiishmen, including +.
Darwin, Professor Huxley. Professor
Kay Lankester, Sir John Lubbock and
Herbert Spencer assisted IN the ccle-
bration. Jena named square after
the city. The Turin Royal Academy
awarded him a 10000-lire prize for
h achieVements in science. and the
bressa Prize OF 10000 marks for life
was awarded to him in Berlin in 1909.
Defended German War Aims
During the war Haeckel was great
defender of Gcrmany's stand. In
letter WI tren as propaganda for the
sixth German war loan in 1917. he
wrote:
You have asked my opinion of this
crue! war My answer, founded on the
words Of our three greatest heroes
Won Hindenburg, Ludendortf and Won
Ilrpltz-'s. Down with England at
any price!'" He formulated a nrr-
dlction OF the course OF German victorv
in 1914. According to this prediction
the German army and navy would H.
wade and OCCUPY London. Belgium
would be partitioned, Germany would
rule in Africa, France would have to
We up some OF her northeastern
provinces, and Russia was to be re-
duced to impotency by the reestab-
lshment Of the Kingdom of Poland,
which was to be united with Austria
Hungary.
The publication of Haeckel's book on
GOD and the Immortality of the so,il
IN 1913, brought about recurrence
of that vigorous criticism by oppo-
nents Of his theories that pune
tuated his long career Early in 1915
he declared The false cosinoDoljfan
ldeallsm OF the German people" was
the greatest danger to its national
existence"
Haeckel had been in failing health