D O C U M E N T S 4 8 3 , 4 8 4 A P R I L 1 9 2 9 4 2 7 483. To Barthélemy de Ligt[1] [Berlin,] 6 April 1929 Dear Sir, Above all, thank you very much for sending your lecture and your book, as well as for the complete works published by your community, in which, in addition to other splendid articles, I have read yours with deep sympathy. I gladly join your organization.[2] Although I cannot give a great deal of time and energy to it, I will nevertheless do whatever is in some way possible. On the whole I believe that such an effort can achieve significant influence only if it succeeds in moving a large number of respected people to declare publicly that they would oppose any state order to take part in an act of war. Journalistic activity alone can hardly count on having lasting success, since such publications are on the whole read only by sup- porters.— With the assurance of my sincere sympathy, respectfully yours, 484. To Heinrich Zangger Berlin W., 6 April 1929 Dear Zangger, You mustn’t complain, but instead cut down.[1] If I lived the way you do, with so much excitement and work, I’d have long since been pushing up daisies. The slightest irregularity, too much talking or drinking, and the devil is sure to pop up and give me a private lesson at night instead of letting me sleep. However, I don’t say this to complain about myself. I have behind me a life with which I am very satisfied and am glad that what I started up lives on. You should think the same way and devote the rest of your life to contemplative repose. God also needs peaceful observers who admire his work without feeling compelled to thrash about. I received a sailboat for my birthday in which I intend to whip around the Berlin lakes all summer.[2] The theory has gone well, even if up to now I’m the only one who somewhat insists on it. Now others have to help work out the consequences. I pity poor Stodola very much.[3] I will write to him soon. But he would no doubt find an article in a newspaper distasteful, especially if I wrote it, since I am com- pletely unable to judge his life’s work.[4] I can feel that way because I also find all the fuss about me nauseating. Byzantinism, Wilhelmine ersatz.[5] Come here and we’ll sail together all day long and calmly contemplate nature. Then your heart will become calm and happy again. Just give up all pedantry and let a successor investigate crimes and car accidents. Kind regards from your A. Einstein