Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-12-28

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Cambridge, Mass Dec. o7.-The
maintenance of the energy of the
race IS the real task Of our civiliza-
ton, DIR. Thomas S. B. Baker, secre-
tary and acting president of the Car
negie Institute of Technology, Pitts
burgh, said in an address today at &
sectional meeting OF the American
Association for the Advancement or
Science. Keeping alive the intellec-
tual and spiritual forces of the race,
he urged as essential to such main
tenancc.
rs degeneration inevitable >" he
asked. ut would be a bold prophet
who would say no to this question.
But to answer in the affirmative
means the acceptance of a form of
fatalism that will ultimately bring
with it a decline in human conf
Gence and effort.
THE world now shows signs Of
alarm as it contempIates it's many
an increase in spirit of morbid in
trospection which if continued may
lead to the dependency which is a
characteristic of the people whose
culture is failing.
'The idea of progress has been
almost an axiom in the popular
thinking for nearly century, but
now in it's stead the conception ef
inevitable degeneration makes itself
heard from time to time. Our feel
inGs revolt at this desperate view,
of the future. Optimism is an es-
sential in the conservation of our
present stock of human energy. In
ertIa will overtake the race if we
lose confidence in the future.
'The energy of the race can only
be conserved through new ideas,
new discoveries and the application
OF fhese discoveries. Mankind will
degenerate unless there is a contin,
uotS flow of new ideas from the
brains Of great thinkers to fertilize
and inspire the actions and the lives
Of fhe unthinking masses.
we often mistake restlessness for
energy. We may be making a great
display OF energy on enterprises that
have no permanent value. The rapid
increase of interest in sports and
recreation is natural corollary to
the heightened feverishness of our
age. If We believe that the conscr-
walton Of mans energy depends on
nigh thinking we should attach more
Importance to repose and contem-
plation than we Go at present.
Popular education can increase
the sum total of human energy by
bringing to the surface powers that
otherwise would have remained la
tent. 1t can liberate the mind of
superior endowments.
"At the present time we observe
the increasing power of the masses.
We can imagine that the power OF
the masses of unthinking people
might be incrcased-that they might
dictate more completely the path
which thinkers must follow in order
TO secure a hearing. Should this be
ing OF progress not dissimilar to the
check that was put upon the original
minds of the middle ages.
II cannot refrain from mention
ing as recent samples of mediaeval-
ism the fight of Bryant to enlist the
minimizing people in his struggle to
stifle freedom or thought in the field
of science. and the efforts of the ku
klux Khan to reduce the country to a
state of mob rule.
I'VE have no assurance that our
civilization will be permanent. But
SO long as VIC believe that our cul-
ture and our ideals of living ought
to be conserved, our chief means of
testing our success in maintaining
them will be the amount of energy
and especially intellectual energy
that is being produced.'
Speaking before the American As
Economical Society. Colonel John
Mills, engineer corps. L. S. A.. SAID
there seemed to be strong probabil-
itv OF some fundamental relationship
among the phenomena that had pro-
duccd the similarity of main fea-
lures and markings on the surfaces
of the earth, the moon and Mars
He advanced the idea that a recon-
citation might be possible Of tho
two leading theories as to the surface
features of the moon---volcanic ac-
tion and impact by metcors.
DR.. II. NJ. Parshley. associated
professor Of zoology at Smith Col
lcge. described before the EntOmo-
logical Society of America how ma
ture in the course of evolution had
solved the problem Of flight adoption
in water bugs by giving to some in
diyiduals the power of fight and de-