D O C . 3 7 3 A P R I L 1 9 2 0 3 1 1 [You have to understand: So “unsolid” a thing as that obviously would never have been obtainable from the government. Only a private fund can do so.[12] [The university is a royal institution.—The alumni of the university gave small amounts of money to the “University Fund” which, however, until a few years ago, could do only very little (helping students a bit in buying books, etc.). In the last couple of years, it was brought to full fruition by the young law professor: Van Vollenhoven— by drumming together the richest and most famous people of the country, almost all of whom are old Leyden students.] Onnes wrote a letter to A and telephoned with B, and the matter was settled, even though the money still remained to be found after the fact.—[13] The University Fund has been finished with that since February 8th—but your confirmation is still creeping along slowly in governmental bureaus!][14] Allow me to hope that I may succeed in contributing something toward the goal to which the Leyden University Fund is devoted: the flowering of this university.– Your presence, Mr. Zeeman (spelling!!!), as curator of this chair and alumnus of this university prompts me, though, to recall that the issuance of doctoral degrees to outstanding physicists at this university is a chronic phenomenon [Van der Waals, Lorentz, Zeeman, Kuenen] [Fokker, Ornstein, Burgers, Kramers],[15] and thus students of physics are certainly not badly served.[16] [Sorry!—This is awful. Not even usable as a thorough-bass!] Honorable Colleagues, in particular, Messrs. Lorentz and Kamerlingh Onnes (Kamerlingh Onnes)! - - - - - - - - - - De Sitter,[17] [De Sitter is still in Arosa for the time being—slowly recovering.] Kuenen, Ehrenfest—you’re a cheerful bunch—you don’t need any ballyhoo. [At the moment, Hertzsprung isn’t professor yet—Possibly will precede you.][18] Ladies and gentlemen of the Student Body!—Well, now—you know! Dixi. I have, I think, given you all the essentials of the speech format. You are in every way completely free: (1) To publish before or after the speech. (2) To deliver to the printer with or without acknowledgments, etc.—Everything will be satisfactory and (that’s Dutch refinement) every mistake will be smilingly excused as well, because it’s known, of course, that you come here basically with a sympathetic heart.– What I have given Say somewhere something about ‘‘the Dutch physicists’’ (Huygens, Stevin, Snellius, Gravesande, Waals, Lorentz, Vant Hoff, Zeeman, Onnes, Debye, Van den Brock)[19] You say Dixi— not: ‘‘ik heb gezegd.’’[20]