DOCS.
71,
72
JANUARY
1908 49
in
the
near
future,
as an
acquaintance
of
mine[1]
who
teaches there told
me
in
confidence.
Don't think that
I
am
driven to the
pursuit
of
such
an
overambitious
path
by
megalomania
or some
other
questionable
passion;
this
craving
comes
only
from
my
ardent
wish
to
be able to
continue
my private
scientific work
under
less
unfavorable
conditions, something
you
will
surely
understand.
"But
why
has he
chosen
to
go
for
precisely
this
job?"
you
will
wonder. The
reason
is
simply
that
I
believe
that
my
chances
are
best there because
1.
I
have
already taught
there
for
a
couple
of months
on
a
temporary
basis,[2]
2.
I
am
quite
friendly
with
a man
who
teaches there.
So
let
me
ask
you:
How does
one
go
about
doing
that?
Should
I perhaps
seek
out
someone
in
order
to
demonstrate
in
person
the
high
value
of
my
praiseworthy
self
as
teacher and
citizen?[3]
Who would this
person
have to be? Is it not
possible
that
I
would
make
a
bad
impression
on
him
(not
a
Swiss
German, Semitic
looks,
etc.)?
Furthermore,
would it make
sense
to
sing
the
praises
of
my
scientific work
on
this
occasion?
How do
you
like it in
Fiedler's
chair?[4]
No
doubt
the
poor
students
at
the
Polytechnic
feel
more
at
ease
in
those
rooms
today
than
in
the
days
when
I
was
supposed to
do
my
technical
drawings
there.[5]
Ehrat
stayed
with
us over
Christmas.
We
had
a
pleasant
time
together.
Best
regards to
crafty
Eugen, to your wife, to
your
parents,
and to
your
other
siblings,[6]
and
much
happiness
for the New
Year. Your
good
old
A.
Einstein
My
wife
sends her
greetings.
72.
To Arnold
Sommerfeld
Bern, 5 January
1908
Highly
esteemed Professor
Sommerfeld:[1]
Thank
you so
much
for
sending
me
your
most recent
papers,
of
which,
of
course,
those
on
the
signal
velocity
interested
me
the
most.[2]
Last
summer
I
had
a
lively
exchange
of letters
on
this
subject
with Prof.
Wien,[3]
without
my having
been
able
to
convince
him.[4]
At that
time
I
concluded from
Wiechert's
result,
according
to
which
the
Maxwell-Lorentz
equations
can
be
replaced
by
actions-at-a-distance
propagating
with
the
speed
of
light (c),
that
a
signal
whose
propagation
is
due
solely
to electromagnetic
effects
between
pointlike particles
cannot
possibly
propagate
with
a
superluminal
velocity.[5]
Lately
I have
concerned
myself
with
the
question
whether the
relativity
principle is
to be
extended
to
uniformly
accelerated coordinate
systems
as
well.
For the
fact
that
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