300
DOC.
310
MARCH
1917
Dear
Zangger,
I
plague you
with
a
second matter
as
well. I
had
magnan-
imously
refused
the
March
package[5]
you
had
promised.
But
now
I
ask
you
please
to send
it
after
all,
if it
is
still
possible. Rice, macaroni,
noodles,
corn-
flour,
rolled oats,
or
semolina
are
the most
important. No
more
rusk,
since
this
can
be
substituted
by
toasted bread.[6]-The third
package
with
the bottle
of
fine
oil
has
now
arrived
as well;
hearty
thanks.
I
have not
started
to
take the
oil
yet.
Although Boas[7]
fully agrees
with
you
on
its curative
effect,
he said: Hoard
this
rich
store
for
a
time of
even
greater need,
if
you
still have
a
tolerable
amount
to
eat
now!
God forbid
that,
where
you are,
it
ever gets
to be
like
it
is here.[8]
From all
that
I
am hearing
from informed
quarters, I
still consider it out
of
the
question.
I
can assure you,
it
is
highly probable
that
you
are
overestimating
the
danger.
Boas also insists
adamantly
that
I
go
to
Tarasp.[9]
But
I
do
not want to
go
without
my
boy,
and with him it would be much
too
costly.
I want
to
save
as
much
as
possible;
I think,
in
my
circumstances
this
is
very
much in order.
I
naturally fully approve
of
having
accommodations made for Tete at
high
altitude
for
a
whole
year
or
longer.
Your
consoling
words
about
him
were a
comfort.
I
do
not want to know
so
precisely
how
you
assess
the
case,
but
I
merely
want to
do
what
I
can
and
humbly
take
what
comes.[10]
We
shall
see
with Albert.
Nothing
that
would make
my
wife
even more
unhappy
than
she
already
is
should
happen
without
necessity.[11]
In
any case,
I
am
relieved
that
you
see no
danger
to
his
health
as
things currently
stand.
Scientific
life
has dozed
off,
more or less;
nothing is
going
on
in
my
head either.
Relativity is
complete,
in
principle,
and
as
for
the
rest,
the
slightly
modified
saying
applies:
And what he
can
do he does
not
want;
and what he
wants
he
cannot
do.
I
am
not
coming
to
visit
you
until the
summer,
but
words cannot describe how
much I’m
looking
forward
to
it.
It
is
quite
nice for
me
here and
I
am
floating
right
“at
the
top,”
but
on
my
own,
like
a
drop
of
oil
on
water,
isolated
by
mentality
and
outlook
on
life.
Your
suggestion
about
the
books
is
a
good one per
se
but
is
surely
only
practicable if
we
have
a
market
for these
books.[12]
You should not
take
on even more
bother
on
my
account
than
is unfortunately
already
burdening
you.
Dear
Zangger,
start
up
the
Adler
campaign
soon,
otherwise
it could
be too
late! Affectionate
greetings,
yours,
Einstein.
Besso’s note:
“I
returned
Beck’s
telegram
to him
today. 5 May
1917."