1 5 4 D O C . 1 8 0 N O V E M B E R 1 9 1 9 even though you were offered the most dazzling conditions, because you did not want to abandon our sinking ship now.[4] Your character truly ranks equal with your scientific achievements that says it all and in full measure! Please do not take the trouble to send written thanks for this letter perhaps I shall receive its reply in person if my surely not completely unfounded hope that you will come here in the winter is fulfilled. That would be splendid! All’s well with us. My wife is just returning from Brussels where she spent fine, politically untroubled days.–[5] I myself am still in search of a mentor-collaborator- secretary for my virtually complete, skeletally drafted system of the sciences [6] among oth., a Miss Schneider, Berlin, is being recommended to me, who has sup- posedly written a very good paper for Riehl’s seminar on relativity theory.[7] With warm greetings to all from both of us, I am truly devotedly yours, Oppenheim. 180. From Robert W. Lawson The Physics Laboratory, The University, Sheffield. 27[28] November 1919[1] Esteemed Professor, A couple of days ago I wrote you regarding an article about your theories for Nature.[2] As I notice in today’s Times, you wrote one already for that newspaper and I greatly enjoyed reading it today.[3] Nevertheless, I hope you will be inclined to write an article for Nature as well. For this journal is, after all, the official organ of English scientists and through it you, as a scientist, would be able to speak di- rectly to scientists over here, which I consider very important with regard to future association. That the Times, in particular, managed to catch hold of you is in some respects a pity, I think, since that newspaper vigorously advocated the reprehen- sible Northcliffe view during the war.[4] By this, one just sees the relativistic aspect of the press! The president of our Physical Society delivered a talk today on the occasion of the inaugural session for this year, and spoke about “the revolution in modern phys- ics.” He (Dr. Milner and my boss) addressed problems in radioactivity and their im- pact on our ideas about atomic structure, etc., Planck’s quantum hypothesis, and your own theories.[5] Dr. Milner had made a few slides from my Viennese picture collection and I was happy how much applause there was when the one of Planck and of the Scientific Meeting in Vienna, 1913, was projected onto the screen.[6] I very much regretted that I did not have any picture of you on your own for this meeting.[7] In my Vienna collection I have virtually all Austrian physicists, a few Germans, Hungarians, and Poles, and would be delighted if I could add to it an au- tographed photograph of you.
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