1 7 6 D O C S . 2 0 5 , 2 0 6 D E C E M B E R 1 9 1 9 The money I paid out for you was virtually my entire cash flow. It’s strangely funny to see the tangible result of my commissions and omissions so palpably em- bodied before me. Best would be if you stay indebted to me for it all in marks, es- pecially since I can avail myself of it more easily that way than if I had it here. Whether you want to buy the marks now or not is entirely up to you, of course. It’s a matter of speculation.[7] Cordial greetings to all of you, yours, Einstein. Pardon the brevity I have so much to do. [. . .][8] 205. From Richard von Mises Dresden, 22 Liebig St., 10 December 1919 Highly esteemed Colleague, Thank you very much indeed for your kind lines[1] and the interest you are show- ing in my humble papers. I now intend to publish the note on the ergodic hypothesis in the Physikalische Zeitschrift and ask you please to be so kind as to send the manuscript to Prof. Debye.[2] Your statement about the equipartition theorem is very valuable to me, although I cannot understand it completely.[3] I believe I showed precisely that mechanics does not allow any such statements about the course of motion of statistical sys- tems. Statements that are possible (it is, with “overwhelming probability,” to be ex- pected that . . .), do not flow from mechanics alone but also by means of theoretical probabilistic assumptions.[4] However, I will try to clarify the question further. A few days ago I received from the Barth publishers in Leipzig a copy of your famous paper from 1916 on the general theory of relativity.[5] If I owe this parcel to you, I must consider it as a great and undeserved distinction. You may be assured of my gratitude and my respect, yours truly, Mises. 206. From Heinrich Rausch von Traubenberg[1] Göttingen, 55 Nikolausberger Way III, 10 December 1919 Esteemed Professor, In the past you, Count Arco, and Born were so kind as to plan the establishment of an independent research position for me that was supposed to be financed by ma-
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