1 6 2 D O C U M E N T 1 4 2 J A N U A R Y 1 9 2 6 minutes are a declaration of the proceedings that in fact took place during the meet- ing, and nothing else as pertains to these proceedings, the members of neither the executive nor the presiding committees have any prerogative over the other partic- ipating members of the Board of Governors. Like them, they only have the right to inform the secretary of any desired alterations, which they were explicitly requested to do at the distribution of the minutes. But the way these altered minutes have been unilaterally drawn up and sent out in this instance cannot be allowed un- der any circumstances. The distribution of these altered minutes is all the more disconcerting[3] and rep- rehensible because the alterations mainly regard those fundamental resolutions that, subsequent to thorough consultations, had been formulated by the Board of Governors itself during the meeting. There can be no differences of opinion about those resolutions. I must therefore explicitly state that only the minutes first sent out are valid, which had been approved by all the members of the Board of Gover- nors present, with one exception, from whom no reply has yet been received and I must impress upon you most urgently to withdraw those invalid minutes. Respectfully yours, A. Einstein 143. Statement on the Locarno Treaties [Berlin, before 1 January 1926] [See Doc. 144 in documentary edition for English translation of this document.] 144. “Einstein Optimistic over Locarno” [Einstein 1926c] Published 1 January1926 In: Philadelphia Public Ledger, 1 January 1926, New Year Section, [p. 12]. [See documentary edition for English text.]