Evening star., 1929-12-19
DESIGNED
BY SCIENTISTS TO
EXPLAIN EVOLUTION
Free Series by Washington
Academy, and Open to Pub
lie, Begin Tonight.
TALKS WILL DEPICT
BEGINNING OF LIFE
DR.. Hrdlicka Declares Much of An
tagonism Is Due to Popular
Misunderstanding.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.


When, whence and how did the
world and all things in it, get here?
The Washington Academy of Sci
enceS. the senate" of all the learned
societies in the National Capital, will
try to answer this question, within the
limits of present scientific knowledge, in
series of approximately 20 free pub
lie lectures, starting tonight, in the
assembly hall of the Cosmos CLUB.
These lectures, it was explained by
DR.. Ales Hrdlicka, noted anthropolo-
giSt of the Smithsonian Institution and
president of the academy, will deal with
genesis and evolution IN all their phases
from the beginning of the earth itself
to the development of human beings.
The first lecture on the creation of the
earth will be given tonight by DR.. l.. H.
Adams of the Carnegie Institution. who
will present a naturalistic explanation
of birth of the planet which. so far as
is known, is the only home of life.
The next lecture, the presidential
address of DR.. Hrdlicka, will be given
in the second week of January and
will deal with the generalitieS ana
problems of organic evolution.
Other lectures in the series Will de-
pict the beginning OF life itself, and
the evolution of the different organic
world during the millions OF years our
ing which it waited for the appearance
of man.
Lectures in Book Form.
Later it is expected to issue the lee
lures, some of which will be given by
the worlds foremost authorities on the
subjects, and are expected to conStl-
tute original contributions to science. in
book form, in an effort to mitigate
the antagonism toward evolution,
which has resulted in banning the
teaching of this subject by statute In
some States.
Much of this antagonism, DR.. Hrdlicka
said today, is due to popular miSunder-
standing and to such catch words as
monkey men," which have very little
relation to the subject itself. Some
scientists themselves, 1t was explained,
have narrow views, understanding the
application of the philosophy of evolu-
ton only in their own subjects and dis
regarding it in other fields.
The origin and descent OF man, DR..
explained, is only the final
part of the universal story of evolution,
although the term may have come to
mean that alone in the public mind.
There is an evolutionary philosophy
in astronomy, physics and chemistry as
we'll as in biology. The different view
points have not hitherto been brought
together in an authoritative and un-
biased way. suitable to the non-scientific
understanding.
Insisting that the misinformed oppo-
Sition to evolution was a natural, really
beneficial and passing phenomenon, DIR.
Hrdlicka said that he believed a Wash
ington audience, with large percent
age of university-trained men and
women, would constitute an ideal start
ing point for this message from the
world.
While there is little disagreement
among scientists as to the general facts
of evolution, there are number of
controversies as to the specific progress
and applications of evolution in differ
ent fields, and all these theories will
be explained, as far as it may now be
feasible. 1t is also planned, DR..
Hrdlicka said, to deal fully with those
cases where evolution does not seem
to fit the facts or where the evidence
is still hazy.
When a scientist questions some
minor phase of the doctrine of evolu-
ton. DR.. Hrdlicka explained, the oppo-
nents of this viewpoint jump to the
conclusion that scientists are not agreed
on the fundamental principles and that
evolution" has been refuted. During
the past year Washington has seen two
such controversies. The first was when
Austin H. Clark of the Smithsonian
published a suggestion of biological
evolution which differed considerably
from the Darwinian. He was at once
flooded with letters from the enemies
of evolution greeting him as distin-
guished convert, whereas he remained
a firm "evolutioniSt." The second came
a fnV' ,r,bo
jr., of the Smithsonian threw doubt on
some of the 'pre-human" fossils sup
posed to represent experimental steps
of nature in developing man from a
lower ancestry. To offset the expected
effect of this, the article was thought
best to be accompanied by a note from
the secretary of the institution eX-
planning that Miller was and remained,
an uncompromising evolutionist.
Religious Leaders Welcome.
It is these controversies, DR.. Hrdlicka
said which the public hears about, con-
cludes that the scientists disagree among
themselves and that therefore the whole
claim of evolution is unSubStantiated.
Nothing could be further from the truth,
he SAYS. it is not evolution, but many
of its intricat details that are uncertain.
The plan of the Washington Acad-
emy OF sciences, DT. f1fQllCka SalO, can
by no means be considered as dogmati-
cal, but only as Informative. There are
many who demand safe information,
and they cannot always get it. The
academy hopes especially. DR.. Hrdlicka
said that the leaders Of the various re-
ligious denominations in the city will
attend these lectures, TO which they are
most welcome, so as to see first-hand the
earnest intensity and dignity with which
scince in all its branches deals with this
subject. He himself hopes in the final
lecture on Human Evolution" to show
that this very process is the surest token
of mans future progress.
The lectures are to be given at inter-
walls during the Winter and probably
will extend into next year, owing to the
difficulty of securing some of the speak
ers best able to give adequate explana-
ton of some phases Of evolution. The
program is being arranged by COM
mittee of the academy of which Prof
William j. Humphries of the United
States Weather Bureau is chairman.
MOVERS TO CONFER.