DOCS. 167-169 DECEMBER
1915 163
There has been
a
certain
ill-feeling
between
us,
the
cause
of
which
I
do
not
want to
analyze.
I
have
struggled against
the
feeling
of
bitterness attached
to it,
and
this
with
complete
success.
I
think
of
you
again
with unmixed
geniality
and ask
you
to
try
to do
the
same
with
me.
Objectively
it
is
a
shame when two real
fellows
who have
extricated
themselves somewhat from
this
shabby
world do not afford each
other mutual
pleasure.[2]
Best
regards, yours,
A.
Einstein.
168. To
Michele
Besso
[Berlin,]
21
December
[1915]
Dear
Michele,
I
cannot
come now
because
the
border
is
almost
constantly
closed.
A
number
of
my
acquaintances
had
to return
in
spite of passport,
etc.
So
I
prefer
to
postpone
the
trip
until Easter. I
will
wait then until
I
can
enter.
I
am
very
much
looking
forward
to
the
Swiss
air and
the
associated muzzle
release!
Read
the
articles![1]
They provide
final deliverance from
misery.
Most
gratifying
is
the
agreement
with
perihelion
motion and
the
general
covariance; strangest, however,
is
the
circumstance that
Newton’s
theory of
the
field
is
incorrect
already
in
the
1st order
eq.
(appearance
of
the
g11-g33).[2]
It
is just
the
circumstance
that the
g11-g33’s
do
not
appear
in first-order
approximations
of
the
mo[tion] eqs.
which determines
the
simplicity
of
Newton’s
theory.
Now
Planck also
is
beginning
to take
the
matter
more
seriously;
he
is
still
resisting
a
bit,
though.[3]
But
he
is
a
splendid
person. My
other
experiences
with
colleagues
reveal
an
alarming predominance
of all-too-human
attributes![4] I’ll
tell
you
about
everything
then.
If
only
it
were
now
already!
Affectionate
greetings
to
you,
Prof.
W.,[5]
Anna,
and
Vero,
yours,
Albert.
169. From
Karl
Schwarzschild[1]
[at
the
Russian
front,]
22
December
1915
Esteemed Mr.
Einstein,
In order to become versed in
your
gravitation
theory,
I
have been
occupy-
ing myself
more
closely
with
the
problem
you posed
in the
paper on Mercury’s
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