290
DOCS. 386-388
APRIL
1912
not
necessarily
be
connected
with
each
other;
but
it
is
not
absolutely
certain. Your
experiments will,
one
hopes,
decide this
important
question.[4]
Please
forgive me
for
still not
having
sent
you your
calculation. I
am enclosing
it
herewith.
It's
only
now
that the
meaning
of
your
arguments
has dawned
upon
me.
You
were right
when
you
stated that
your
and
my
arguments
have
nothing
to
do
with
each
other. For
I
consider
a
photochemical decomposition
in which
the
decomposition
products
recombine
while
emitting radiation,
without
the influence
of
already
existing
radiation.
The
decomposition products (more
generally,
reaction
products)
are
not
capable
of
lasting
existence when in contact with
each other. In the
case
considered
by
you (e.g.,
NH3 -
N2
.
H2)
the
initial
and end
products
are
capable
of
existing
(without
radiation). According to
our
common
conviction,
we are
dealing
here
with two
mutually
counteracting photochemical
reactions
(perhaps
of
the
sort I
have in
mind).
Your
arguments
show
now
that the
photochemical
reaction
rates
of
the
two processes
are
not
independent
of
each
other.
I
remember that
the
thing was
already
clear
to
you,
but
not
yet
to
me.
Thanking
you again
most
sincerely,
and with
best
regards
to
you
and Mrs.
Warburg,[5]
I
remain
yours very truly,
A.
Einstein
387. To
Paul Ehrenfest
[Prague,
26
April 1912]
Dear
Mr.
Ehrenfest,
I
am
sending
you
what
you
have asked for.
Please
forward
the
proofs
of the
paper
"Zur Theorie
des
statischen
Gravitationfeldes"[1]
(with
the
handwritten
addendum)[2] as
soon as
possible
to Abraham[3] Via Bocaccio Milano.
With
best
regards,
your
Einstein
388.
To
Hans Tanner
Prague,
26
April
1912
Dear
Mr.
Tanner:
In
my
opinion your paper,
as
far
as
I
know
it,
is
not
original
and mature
enough to
have it
published in extenso
in
a
scientific
journal.[1]
This could be
done
only
in
a
publication-hungry publication organ
of
some
scientific
society
at
the
best,
especially
if,
in this
way, you
could
save
the
printing
expenses,
which,
by
the
way,
should
not be too
high
if
you
looked around
a
little.
Do
not be
angry
with
me
because of
this
frank