2 7 0 D O C U M E N T 1 4 7 S E P T E M B E R 1 9 2 0
scientists’
convention.[4]
—It would be a fine thing if
Berliner[5]
could give one
copy each of the Naturwissenschaften for the two large cities (1918, 1919, or at
least 1920). Never before have offprints been so thoroughly studied!
2. I cannot cash the check for 336 guilders from Methuen before you come (you
slacker immediately wrote incorrectly: 700 guilders)—But in any case, on Mon-
day, 1,000 francs are going out to your ex-wife (I already wrote her a letter
today).[6]
My friends deserve every conceivable sympathy. They did some really exceed-
ingly fine things in physics under incredibly difficult
conditions.[7]
I’ll write you
about that later when I can survey it all better.
— • —
I am very glad that, as you write, the agitation is
subsiding.[8]
Now, whatever
may happen: 1. Do stay away as much as possible from that confounded newspaper
wrangling. Because, God help me if I lie, your “My Response” is so chock-full of
un-Einsteinisms that I could believe you had written it yourself only because it was
unavoidable. So it simply proves that these darned wretches really did succeed in
making you, for a very short time, “beside
yourself.”[9]
—[In the meantime, I heard
from Mrs. François, who was over here, how brutally vulgar the abuse toward you
had
been.][10]
2. At every moment, have rock-solid trust in your Dutch friends. You shall soon
see how much you mean to us all.
Best regards, yours,
Ehrenfest
Your speech is almost certainly supposed to be set for 27 Oct. But only on 20 Sep-
tember shall I know for
sure.[11]
147. From Arnold Sommerfeld
11 September 1920
Dear Einstein,
Many thanks for your very encouraging
letter![1]
From the letter by Lenard,
overleaf, you see that, with Lenard’s subjective and sensitive temperament, your
case can have nasty consequences for our Phys.
Soc.[2]
I actually do not doubt that
Lenard’s name has been misused by Weyland, just as Wolf’s and
Kraus’s.[3]
Under
this assumption, you might perhaps decide to write a placating word to L. that
could work to the benefit of our [Bad] Nauheim
negotiations.[4]
In his newly
reissued brochure Rel., Äther, Gravit., he gave you very decent
mention.[5]
If you