America needs to be reminded of this really fundamental truth more than England does; but, certainly, the greater proportion of new theories of the universe—gloriously unfettered by any acquaintance with realities—which periodically reach me, come from your side of the water; and I mourn over the waste of power and of ingenuity which might have been prevented by three months' work in a laboratory. I shall be very glad to hear of the success of your project; and all the more, that you propose to have it carried it out by private enterprise.I am yours very truly,T. H. Huxlsy.
Naples Zoölogical Station, January, 1892.
Dear Prof. Whitman: You want my opinion on your plans regarding a large zoölogical station. I think my opinion has found long since an expression in a far more emphatic way than by ink on paper. Twenty and more years of life I have bestowed on creating and organizing such a station, and you know yourself how far I, have met with success, part of which may even be recognized in your plan.
Two things concur to make a station flourishing: money and good organization. I have no authority to speak on your chance of finding money enough in your country for your plans; I only lay stress on the fact that money and a good deal of money is necessary to make a zoölogical station successful. It has been for many years my constant preoccupation to raise the income of the Naples station in order to satisfy all the wants science could wish for. I must leave to your appreciation, whether the organization, which I have given to my establishment recommends itself to others as satisfactory. I know myself well enough where it is defective, and how it might be improved; but I know also that there are circumstances in the way that can not be easily removed. As it is, however, it works tolerably well and has done in nineteen years of life some good service to science.
Should you succeed in raising money enough, I think you will be able to establish something so complete and so strong as to rival any existing establishment of the kind. I for one do wish you all possible success in your enterprise. Believe me, dear Prof. Whitman, yours most sincerely,Anton Dohrn.
"Your project interests me greatly. Certainly such a station as you contemplate founding will be of the greatest importance to science."—August Weismann, Freiburg.
"An appeal to the 'upper ten thousand,' to the men who generously consider not only the needs of the commonwealth, but also those of intellectual progress, will not die away unheeded."—Rud. Leuckart, Leipsic.
"Your communication concerning the erection on the North American coast of a large national marine laboratory as a common center for zoological and botanical, morphological and physiological investigations on marine organisms, has excited my keenest interest, and I hope that the considerable pecuniary support so necessary for such an undertaking will be forthcoming."—Ernst Haeckel, Jena.
"I heartily sympathize with your desire to bring about the foundation of a laboratory on the United States coast for the use of skilled investigators in biology. . . . You ought to have at a favorable point on the American coast as complete and well-organized an institution as that established by our friend Dohrn at Naples."—E. Ray Lankester, London.
