3 9 4 D O C U M E N T 3 9 9 D E C E M B E R 1 9 2 4
would be so good as to relay our invitation to such French mathematicians he be-
lieves would accept such an invitation, or would be amenable to consider accep-
tance.
Over here Geiger and Bothe performed a very interesting experiment. They find
that in the Compton effect, the deflection of the X-ray (or the secondary ionization
corresponding to it) and the flinging off of the electron are simultaneous processes.
Thus they refute the statistical theory (Bohr-Kramers-Slater), which accords the
energy-momentum theorem only statistical validity. The paper is not definitively
completed, by the way, but the authors no longer doubt this to be their
result.[7]
Greetings to you, your family, and Mrs. Curie and
daughters,[8]
with sincere
fondness from your
A. Einstein.
399. To Hendrik A. Lorentz
Berlin, 16 December 1924
Dear esteemed Prof. Lorentz,
Professor Thirring recently sent me a letter (copy), in which he reported to you
about the position of local physicists on the matter of
journals.[1]
His report was in
accord with the truth, and yet I believe I can assure you today that a turn for the
better has partly already happened, and is partly in the process of happening. The
most influential leaders of men of science
here[2]
[do not laugh about it, but here
men of science are presented as needing leadership and being led.—In honor of the
truth.] now view the international efforts and methods with more understanding
and trust, as I was able to convince myself from conversations. We just have to have
patience and allow time to do its work.
Unfortunately, a hard-boiled man of little insight is at the head of the Society for
Practical Physics [Gesellschaft für Praktische Physik], which makes this specific
affair (journal reviews) somewhat more
difficult.[3]
I recently spoke once again with Planck about the national
committee.[4]
He was
a bit helpless and said neither yes nor no. He had no proper notion of our goals and
thought that fraternization assurances had no real value. I explained to him then that
the committee was there to solve real tasks and mentioned a few of them to him. I
also said to him that the national committees were organs of the Central Commit-
tee, which was supposed to create a link between scholars and scholarly corpora-
tions of the individual countries. In my view, the moment has now come in which
Previous Page Next Page