3 0 D O C . 3 4 M A Y 1 9 1 9 This is the only way in which I can perhaps be of service to philosophy. Cobbler, stick to your last! I find your book[9] very enjoyable and intend to absorb it bit by bit. I find in it a manner of looking at things that is very close to my own. Poincaré too is closely related to you. Study has treated him quite badly by pinning him down on a truly superficial comment about the practical significance of Euclidean geometry. Poin- caré’s expositions on the place of geometry within the whole scientific system ap- pear to me to be considerably more profound than Study’s.[10] In heartily wishing you happier days, I am with cordial regards, yours very truly, A. Einstein. 34. From Hendrik A. Lorentz Haarlem, 4 May 1919 Dear Colleague, I read your description of the plan you devised with a few like-minded men with avid interest, and I heartily hope that your project can be realized and that it will, in this way, contribute toward gradually ameliorating the current vehement bitter- ness.[1] You are surely under no illusion that your endeavor will in any way be easy. A major difficulty lies in the fact that this step is being taken only now at a time when Germany was still victorious, it could have been more successful. Nonethe- less, it is in any case of great value to do whatever is possible now. As regards practical implementation, it is surely clear that it will sometimes be difficult for a commission composed of private individuals to agree on conclusions that are convincing to all. Only when a commission invested with the requisite au- thority can conduct a legal on-site investigation would it be possible to establish many of the facts beyond any doubt. This will be impossible for your commission and it will have to limit itself to col- lecting already published material[2] and testimonies by credible persons and, after careful verification, pass judgment to the best of its knowledge. Obviously even this can be very useful and helpful. For the time being it does not seem appropriate for me to be among the judges I do not know whether this would be in the interest of the cause and it would cer- tainly also take up too much of my working time and effort. But I shall be very glad to try to be of assistance in procuring the necessary information inasmuch as the latter must be obtained from countries that suffered during the war, involvement by intermediaries will be, as you rightly noted, indispensable.