The Washington times., 1925-12-18
Hottentot and Bacon
Heredity Differs
Genealogical Organic struc-
ture Same, Says Commits
sioner cuno H. Rudolph

tTeel
without saying it In so many
words, Commissioner Cuno H. RO
dolph, whose kindly hand guides
the destinies and fortunes OF the
city Of Washington in more ways
then many of US suspect, believes
that-an apple doesn't fall far
from the tree.
The expression sounds more like
the philosophy OF some .thinkef
whose life had been mostly spent
out in the agricultural spaces where
q potato is spud and good rain
Is God-send; but it Is really the
theory of the president of the
Board of Commissioners OF the Dis.
trict OF Columbia.
Commissioners Rudolph was asked
today by some OF his associates
what he thought Of the argument
The Washington Times has started
over the comparative Influences OF
heredity and environment on the
human race, and he came out SO
strongly in favor of ''heRedity'' that
there was really little to be said IN
behalf Of environment" when the
Commissioner got through.
Sees Both Sides
However, the Commissioner, be.
ms fair man. and man who a..
ways l6olss st both sides OF any
question before delivering himself,
does not entirely discount the force
which environment may assert IN
the careers OF people. but believes
firmly that. of the two elements.
heredity Is the controlling power be-
hind all OF our lives, be they In
high walks or low.
But Commissioner RudoIph,s be.
liefs need no celebrating at the
hands Of any reporter here they
are verbatim land The Times be.
heves they form an important
chapter IN the discussion which Id.
and has for some time been, open
to the public
TO doubt that hereditn Is the
essential element IL the combine
tfOs Of mental qualities consmOnlg
called character, IS to question
that there Is q difference betaOeen
the Hottent0t and Fraacis
Bacon.
The H0ttentOt has exactly the
same genealogical organic stT1ic-
tatre that Bacon had, and may,
after millions Of years of deveIOp-
mental heredity, acquire the M
teLtectunt ncsensen aud aptitude at
philosophical reasoning that hGVe.
made the utter so pre-ensi3se9st IL
the sDorEd of mind, but at present
he Is restricted III that respect bN
the Inferior quality of the brain
development, sOkich his ancestors
haze beQueatked to him, and no
ertent or degree of environment
1Uoasld make them mentally equal.
An isaac Nsipto1s Michel
angelo, q William The ConqstsrOT,
a Ben johnson, OF an abraham
Lsnc0la, WouId haze been great
regardless of their environments,
because they each suere the fruit
Of the geserative meeting of rep
reseHt1tiUes of q long line of an.
eestors aUh0 had i,sherited from
other ancestors, Improvement IN
those qualities By 1Ohich their
pre-emtinence is distinguished.
Empironnsest, lUkich like the
banks 6sld bed of giver, may d.
Vert aid soil or clear the stream,
bat cnisnok chast9 its distinctive
directi15s, has, al sdnpreciabEe IN
fEuencf on l1lmGn character, bait
does ot mint e9sioltu change 10.
g A great or small mental mi
heritdnce may be made more eff
Gent through the influence of en-
Uir0nment and Uice UersG, but q
deficient ntent0L i7theritGnce can
not be made great one By an
environment of any kind.
The fact that one has rrofited
bH the pious environment of a.
mothers ezGmple and precepts,
proves. that he had a S0orthv IN
heritGmce to start Nth. Many q
child's career has been ruined By
the. inheritance of piosts bat
foolish mother.
Curiously enough, Mr.. Rudolph's
theories on heredity and environ
ment, sound as they are, and new
as they are, particularly in the
comparison he draws between the
prospect of a Hottentot and a
Francis Bacon, do not win for him
today's award of a copy of Harold
Bell Wright's novel on heredity. i
"a Son OF His Father because
the Commissioner views were not
sought on a competitive basis. He
was merely asked to speak on the
subject and he did so. freely. and
this newspaper believes. effectively.
Book Goes to Mother
Today's book away goes to q
mother, who cites the cases of her
two sons who, she claims, started
life with the worst environment in1
the world, but Both sof whom have
succeeded or are succeeding in their
chosen professions She is Mrs.
NJ. f. Reilly, 1860 jefferson st.
n. w. and this is what she says:
In my opinion heredity or en-
Uironmen hasn't anything to do
aOith ngotding ont chiLds life. 4
1T is the child himself that has
TO work out his oSOn problems. "a
If a mother and father starts
their child out born Nth good
blood and common sense that
child 1OilL succeed.
I speak from experience; my
boys sUere brought up in the s0orst
kind of environment, bat at has
not stopped them from ataking
good. One is prominent LGsOyeS
IN NetO York city and the other
80 H.. ~ kksa