D O C S . 2 2 6 , 2 2 7 D E C E M B E R 1 9 1 9 1 9 3 226. To Richard von Mises Berlin W.30, 5 Haberland St., 21 December 1919 Highly esteemed Colleague, I sent your manuscript, according to your instructions, to Debye, who has al- ready acknowledged receipt.[1] The problem regarding the equipartition theorem seems to me to be as fol- lows.[2] In your paper you showed a system of consequences obtainable without the ergodic hypothesis, which means, without impermissible additional statistical con- ditions. You do not seem to have proved, however, that—or in which cases—the equipartition theorem cannot be deduced from the conditions of mechanics alone. To me, the situation still seems to be that mechanics demands the equipartition theorem, even though this has not yet been proved rigorously. I have the impression that only through modification or specialization of the principles of fundamental mechanics will it be possible to do justice to the facts underlying quantum theory. With kind regards, yours, A. Einstein. 227. From Richard Fleischer[1] Wiesbaden, 23 Park Street, Villa Riviera, 21 December 1919 Esteemed Professor, Please allow me the joy during this Christmas season of extending to you, in the purest interest of science, a token of my admiration. I would like to make available to you 2000 marks for a laboratory investigation by Franz Haniel & Co., in Ruhrort, Duisburg, to find a practical application for your theory of relativity, as I have just now made allocations for similar purposes to a number of outstanding scholars and science institutes of higher learning. The more that scientific theory is directed toward practical application, the greater are the benefits of science to humankind and culture. In this sense, I feel justified in asking you to give me your consent to the above wish. With utmost respect, yours sincerely, Richard Fleischer.
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