614
DOCS.
591,
592
JULY-AUGUST
1918
of
the
choice of coordinates
(an integral invariant,
which does not
correspond
to
a
differential
invariant).[11]
The
energy
of
the
whole
world,
in
the
case
where
the latter
is
closed with
an even
distribution
of matter, is
determined
just
by
this
matter
alone;
gravitational field
energy
and the
energy
contribution
of
the
A-term cancel each
other
out.
Furthermore,
it
is
not
entirely
uninteresting
that
the
theory
can
easily
be formulated
so
that
A
appears
not
as a
universal
constant
in
the
usual
sense
but
as an
integration
constant,
or as a Lagrangian
factor.
One
only
needs to
say
5{
ƒ
Sjdr}
=
0
must be satisfied for all variations
that
leave
the
volume,
in
natural
measure,
ƒ
y/^dr,
invariant. Such
a
formulation
seems
all
the
more
natural
since
the
vanishing
of the
variation of
the
Hamilton
integral certainly
cannot
be
postulated
reasonably
for
such
variations
corresponding
to
a
transition of the world to
a neighboring
smaller
one
that
is
also
at
equilibrium.
There
is nothing
analogous
to
this
consideration
in
standard
mechanics,
because
there the
masses
and volume
are
not varied.
I
think
I
should
publish
this
sometime when
the
occasion
arises,
because
it
cleanses
the
theory
of
a
blemish.[12] I
wonder whether
one
day
other
universal
constants
won’t lose
their
painful
character this
way
as
well?[13]
592. To Arnold
Sommerfeld
[Berlin,
between
1
August
and
1
November
1918][1]
Dear
Sommerfeld,
I
am
glad
that
you
have
given
Mr. Usener’s historical
portrayal[2]
the
criti-
cism
it
deserves.[3]
There
can
be
absolutely
no
doubt about
his mala
fides.
I
am
completely
informed
about this
because
I
had
to
draw
up
a
brief
private
evalua-
tion
for Mr.
Anschütz,
in which Usener’s
portrayal
of
the
circumstances
behind
the
Van den Bos-Anschütz
patents
had to be taken
into
account.[4]
Usener
was
formerly employed
at Anschütz
and
is
now
cooperating
with the
competition.[5]
In
the
book,
he
presented
himself
very cleverly
as an
impartial bystander
but
was
intent
on disparaging
Anschütz’s merits. You should
let
Anschütz
give you
the
details;
I
was
downright
scandalized
by
the
fellow!
It
is
good
that
you up-
hold
your
statement in
essence.[6]
It
is
new
to
me
that
Martienssen
was
the
first
to have
pointed
to
the
application
of
long
oscillation
periods.[7]
Was
this
really
before Anschütz’s
first
patent?
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