2 4 6 D O C U M E N T 2 5 0 M A Y 1 9 2 4
I cannot imagine at all where you were together with all those men: Fajans, Bjer-
rum, Perrin, etc. Surely not in Naples, in any
case.[4]
I am in my Kiel cloister once
again, between pondering and
sailing.[5]
The latter succeeds more easily.
I am glad that you think so well of
Albert.[6]
I like him, too, in his modest, cau-
tious, and level-headed way. I got to know him best while sailing. You may laugh
about that, but it is very telling how someone acts in momentary danger amidst the
wind and waves. Reliability and strength of nerves are revealed as well as healthy
good humor. Switzerland is also the best school for a developing person.
The French elections please me very much. It must be a healthy people to get
over the dangers of victory so soon. No more predominance of the military and
reactionaries.[7]
The people here could take that as a model.
I am hoping to come to Zurich soon now, after all. In the meantime, cordial re-
gards from your
A. Einstein.
250. To Elsa Einstein
[Kiel,] 17 May 1924
Dear Else,
Your express letter just arrived. I’m going to be traveling with
Goldmann,[1]
especially since it’s one day after the colloquium. For that reason, I
want to come home on the 27th and present the talk at the colloquium on the 28th,
which Laue requested I
do.[2]
Please tell him this immediately by telephone. I’ll try
to procure the reading material here and, if that should not be possible, shall ask
Laue to send it to me over here. I’m not at all aware of having written you an unkind
letter.[3]
In any event, you’re right to enjoy this fine time of year a little. We’re bus-
ily experimenting here. There are infinitely many details with such a complicated
technical apparatus, all of which have to be considered and tried out. I think that
the matter will be very successful. Time passes very quickly here. I like
Anschütz[4]
more and more. He’s an eccentric of the good sort, so enterprising and at the same
time kind-hearted. You don’t write anything about Ilse’s condition. I hope it turns
for the better. Do you really believe that she has
tuberculosis?[5]
What you related
to me otherwise about the womenfolk does surprise me a little. That’s a quite pe-
culiar degeneration, all right. Poor
Rudi.[6]
I have to conclude so that the letter can still go out today, because tomorrow is
Sunday. Enjoy yourselves in the meantime, and kisses from your
Albert.