D O C U M E N T 2 7 8 O C T O B E R 1 9 2 1 1 7 5
276. From Shmarya Levin (?)[1]
[London,] 20 October [1921]
[See the documentary edition for the original English.]
277. From Svante Arrhenius
Experimentalf[ås]tet 21 October 1921
[Not selected for translation.]
278. From Max Born
Göttingen, 21 October 1921
Dear Einstein,
Today I write you in your capacity as the mighty director of the Institute of Phys-
ics of the Kaiser Wilhelm Society and, to be specific, about the X-ray apparatus we
applied
for.[1]
Franck has told
you[2]
where matters stand; meanwhile, though,
something else has happened. Roughly 10 days ago a representative of the Veifa
Works was here and offered us the following: The firm wants to deliver the appa-
ratus we want at the previously valid price if we place an order immediately; but
we are supposed to have the right to annul the order until the 31st of October (dead-
line 3 weeks) if by that time no notice has arrived by the K. W. Soc. Orders placed
later would be hit by the fully inflated price caused by the currency collapse, which
would amount to roughly 50%
(!!!).[3]
We accepted the offer and ordered in the
hope that within these 3 weeks notification about approval of the funds by the K.
W. Soc. will have arrived. Now the deadline (31st Oct.) is approaching and we are
waiting. Pohl and Franck asked
me[4]
to write you and ask how the matter actually
stands and whether we should annul on the 31st of Oct. or whether the approval is
so certain that we can keep the order. It would be a pity if we did eventually obtain
100,000 marks but received notice about it so late that by then the apparatus costs
150,000 marks. Perhaps the decision can be accelerated a little.– We have mean-
while cleared out 2 adjoining rooms, through the complicated transplantation of
apparatus, collections, toilets, etc., where the X-ray research is supposed to be car-
ried out; one room for each department. Dr. Küstner has meanwhile been working,
under very difficult conditions, at the medical clinic, where another Veifa apparatus
is standing, to familiarize himself with it. We have a lot of problems waiting and
would be happy to receive the apparatus.