8 6 D O C U M E N T S 1 0 6 , 1 0 7 M A R C H 1 9 2 1
My local conflicts have been very much overblown. I view those people far too
objectively and am too well secured materially for them to make any difference to
me. I plod on unruffled and ponder as much as time permits in this whirlwind.
Besides, invention on a grand scale is the business of the young and therefore over
for me. Right now I am about to leave for America for 2 months. I would long since
have sent you a few papers if it had not been so confoundedly difficult under the
present circumstances. But I want to catch up on it.
With friendly greetings, yours,
A. Einstein.
106. To Maurice Solovine
[Berlin,] 19 March 1921
Dear Solovine,
Thank you very much for the grand article and your
suggestion.[1]
I can’t write
to the newspaper of my own accord, however. It goes against my sacred principles
and habits. I could only state my opinion in response to an inquiry, which is too late
now because I’m leaving the day after tomorrow. By the way, you didn’t quite
understand. I wrote no foreword to F[abre’s
work],[2]
rather he forged it, whereby
among other things he lifted sentences from one of my letters. It would suit me very
well if this matter were made known. I had a notice regarding this placed in the
local gen. sci. revue Naturwissenschaften with the request that the notice be
reprinted in foreign
publications.[3]
Best regards, yours,
A. Einstein
P.S. The article by our decent
friend[4]
had its origins in the April issue of the
Weltspiegel, the supplement of the Berliner Tageblatt. A brief notice that it involved
an April-fool’s joke that F. had fallen for would be more effective than any state-
ment on my part.
107. From Hendrik A. Lorentz
Haarlem, 19 March 1921
Dear Colleague,
I scarcely need to tell you how sorry I am that you are not going to come to
Brussels;[1]
all the others are going to regret it sorely, too. But I understand how
you feel that it is your duty to go to America.