25.
“What
is
the
Theory
of
Relativity?”
[before
28
November,
1919]
Translation from
Einstein,
Ideas and
Opinions,
trans.
Sonja Bargmann
(New York:
Crown, 1952).
WHAT
IS THE THEORY OF RELATIVITY?
Written
at
the
request of
The London Times. Published
[1]
November
28,
1919.
I
gladly
accede
to
the
request
of
your colleague to
write
something
for
The Times
on
relativity.
After
the
lamentable
breakdown
of the old active
intercourse
between
men
of learn-
ing,
I welcome this
opportunity
of
expressing my feelings
of
joy
and
gratitude
toward the
astronomers
and
physicists
of
England.
It
is thoroughly
in
keeping
with
the
great
and
proud
traditions
of scientific work
in
your
country
that eminent
[2]
scientists should have
spent
much time and trouble,
and
your
scientific
institutions
have
spared
no
expense, to
test
the im-
plications
of
a theory
which
was perfected
and
published
dur-