(Copy of letter to W.B. from &rancis[sic] Galton)
42 Rutland Gate S.W. June 12 . 1904.
Dear Mr. Bateson
Your letter of May 28 should have been answered earlier, had I not d delayed in hope of receiving your promised answers in my "Ability in Families" circular, and replying to both at once.
I quite understand now (I think) your point, and to a great extent agree with it. But what are we humans to do, if any 'eugenic' progress is attempted? We can't mate men and women as we please, like cocks and hens, but we could I think gradually evolve some plan by which there would be a steady, though slow amelioration of the human breed. The aim being to increase the contribution of the more valuable classes of the population and to diminish the converse. We now want better criteria than we have of which is which.
Do what we can (within reasonable limits as regards mankind), fraternal [underscore]variability[end underscore] will never be much lessened; but I do think that the fraternal [underscore]means[end underscore] might on the whole be raised.
That is the problem as it seems to me, to be held in view; also that an exact knowledge of the true principles of heredity would hardly help us in its practical solution.
I do indeed fervently hope that exact knowledge may be gradually attained and established beyond question, and I wish you and your collaborators all success in your attempts to obtain it.
Very faithfully yours
Francis Galton
Do you want the cobs of maize back?
[handwritten marginalia]used[end handwritten marginalia]
[stamped]University College London Galton Papers 245/3[end stamp]
[end]