The British Association

Abstract

YOUR criticism of the British Association, that it fails to touch our national life, is most opportune; but whereas you imply merely that it is decadent, to me it seems to be practically defunct. An active worker on its behalf in the past, I have little hope of its resuscitation and doubt if it can ever again fulfil the desires of its early promoters, who undoubtedly held its primary function to be that of advancing public appreciation of scientific discovery. I have always deplored our failure to appeal to the public. Seemingly, the spirit of sacrifice is gone out of science; strange to say, the herd instinct is altogether wanting in our society, so uncontrolled is our individuality. The assumed author of “The Beggar's Opera,” after remarking of his characters, “There's not an honourable man among them, nor an honest woman,” proceeds to say, “but they are all human.” So are the present exploiters of the British Association, though were it not human to be selfish some might even dub them inhuman on account of the narrowness of their outlook and their disregard of public needs.