D O C U M E N T 4 6 S E P T E M B E R 1 9 2 7 6 1 46. From Teodor Schlomka Halle (Saale), Zietenstr. 6, 8 September 1927 Dear Professor, Sadly, I cannot send you anything new about the compass flights.[1] The 150 Reichsmarks which was granted to me on my application by the Saxon and Thuringian Association for Air Travel has been completely used up by the two test flights. The results to date are in any case an indication that we must investigate the matter more carefully. With 100 new measurements, which will cost 2000 to 3000 Reichsmarks, we could certainly clarify the situation. In order to obtain such a sum from someone, I am now going to report on the results obtained thus far in Kissin- gen, under the title, “A New Experiment on the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies.”[2] I am indeed very reluctant to report publicly at this point on our results up to now, which are in fact only from preliminary experiments. But what choice do I have? I myself haven’t a single penny left that I could sacrifice for scientific pur- poses. In the past years, I have spent 800 Reichsmarks out of my own pocket on travels that were intended to permit me to obtain a torsion balance for my gravita- tion experiment (and which in the end were successful in that goal), from my monthly income of 100–150 Reichsmarks! I no longer feel able to visit one physi- cist after another, trying to interest them in the experimental flights. In Kissingen, more than one will hear my talk perhaps among all of them, there will be one who will be sympathetic toward continuing those experiments. By the way, I have in fact already used fluid compasses[3] (they are usually filled with ethyl alcohol in the case of aircraft compasses, or else with methanol, or also toluene or petroleum ether). Indirectly, you are the instigator of the flight experiment you have after all car- ried out similar experiments in trains,[4] and as far as I remember, it was only after you told me that in Düsseldorf that I began to consider the possibility, and in what manner, that such experiments might be carried out using aircraft.[5] I am not at all eager to adorn myself with false laurels, and thus I would like to mention your name in this context in my talk in Kissingen. But if that would not be agreeable to you, please let me know beforehand.— I have been receiving a research stipend from the Notgemeinschaft since July to support the continuation of my gravitation experiment a few days ago, my costs for materials of 1000 Reichsmarks that I had applied for were also granted. I have you in part to thank for that, since you passed the application on to Prof. v. Laue some time ago.[6] I am very grateful for your kindness! Yours very respectfully, T. Schlomka