The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-09-23
TRUE Love USUALLY
best, DARWINS VIEW
Tells Eugenics Congress
Convenient Matings Of
ten Are Bad.
MELTING POT FAILING
Prof. Osborn Finds Racial
Virtues Slow to Adj
vance.
NOTED SCIENTISTS HERE
'All Men Born With Equal
Ability to Govern Selves
Called Political Claptrap.

Prof. Henry Fairfield Osborn. speak
ing last night at the Museum of
Natural History at the formal open
ing of the second international con-
gress of eugenics. declared that the
melting pot" has failed to advance
racial virtues and that "in the United
States we are slowly waking to the
consciousness that education and en-
vironment do not fundamentally alter
racial values
Prof. Osborn's speech was the first
OF the congress, which will hold it's
meetings at the museum until Sep
TENDER %. At the opening there was
a notable gathering of students OF
beredity, anthropology and eugenics
from many parts of the world. These
included DR.. Lucien Cuenot and DR..
6. v. dc Lapouge Of France and Or.
Jon Alfred Mjoen of Norway.
Other speakers were Major Leonard
Darwin, fourth son OF Charles Darwin
and the leader Of the eugenics movement
in England, and DR.. Charles b. Daven-
port, director Of TIL. department OF
gcnetics at the Carnegie Institute at
Washington.
Darwin Like His Father.
Particular interest attached to Major
Darwin and when he arose to speak
everybody leaned forward to catch every
word he had to say. The resemblance
to the photographs Of his illustrious
parent was remarked by many. He was
nDplauded when he Sid that the eu-
rcnics movement owed it's origin to the
theory Of evolution nut forth by his
father Major Darwin urged conser-
vatism In any eugenic programme. say
Ing that the results for which eugenists
hope may not be noticeable for several
hundred years.
Couples in the park near b., would have
taken heart il they bod heard Major
Darwin declare with emphasis that he
djd not favor the abolition Of love. He
said:
THAT Is a misunderstanding. IL
Young people were always allowed to
follow their natural inclinatiops their
mating usually would be wise from the
standpoint of eugenics. But many mar
riages which are made for wealth or
social position do not tend TO better the
human race
rxplodcs some Sophjstrlcs.
Prof. Osborn. who Is president Of the
congress as well as president OF the
Museum of Natural History. said war
had made conference on racial
character and betterment OF the utmost
Importance. He added that "the true
spirit of American democracy that all
men are born with equal rights and
duties has been confused with the
political sophistry that all men are born
with equal character and ability 70
govern themselves and others and with
the educational sophistry that educa-
ton and environment will offset the
handicap OF heredity.'' He continued:
1.-THE closing decades OF the nineteenth
century and the opening decades of the
twentieth have witnessed what may be
called a rampant observation-disclosures
only in art and literature, but in all our
social institutions--an individualisn
which threatens the very existence or
the family. This is the motto OF indi-
yidualism:
Let us obey our own impulses; let us
create our own standards: let each indi-
vlduai enjoy his own rights and privi-
ieges--for tomorrow the race dies.
''In New England century has wit
messed the passage OF a many child fam
lily TO a one child family. Tha purest
New England stock Is not holding It's
own. The next stage Is the no child
marriage and the extinction OF the stock
which laid the foundations Of the repub-
lican institutions of this country"
Will Take On Legal Reforms.
Ono OF the sections OF the congress
will be devoted to the reforms which