3 4 D O C S . 3 7 , 3 8 M A Y 1 9 1 9 whatever may point to criminal orders and motives from the top. It is such material that we will request from our neutral friends and will then attempt, on the basis of local documents, to find evidence that would convince people here. Thus we hope to contribute toward improving the mentality of the latter, in particular to counter- act any nascent idea of revenge. My name may be mentioned everywhere in this connection. I am doing nothing that I cannot justify before anyone. Unfortunately I cannot get anywhere with Planck. I never speak with him about things that even remotely touch upon politics. I would only cause him pain, and we would not un- derstand each other. These people are as though they were under hypnosis Planck is already so shaken by all the events that he absolutely must be spared.[11] He is otherwise so upright and selfless that one has to excuse him on this score. As soon as a preliminary peace has been concluded,[12] we shall turn to the government and I will then immediately report to Mr. Lorentz about it all. For now, I send him thanks from the bottom of my heart for his willingness to promote this good cause and am, with the warmest greetings to him, you, and your wife, yours, A. Einstein. 37. To Paul Natorp [Berlin,] 11 May 1919 Highly esteemed Colleague,[1] I have studied your new draft and can now thoroughly approve of it.[2] I heartily hope that now a fine little band of like-minded people can be found to cooperate in earnest. The majority of even the most intelligent are regrettably exclusively guard- ians of their own—special or class—interests. I am very curious to hear from you about the success of this action.[3] In the same mailing, I am sending you an article by Kautsky[4] that I find very noteworthy. With cordial greetings, yours, A. Einstein. 38. From Hugo Seemann 11 May 1919 [Not selected for translation.]