| Description | Letter addressed to Professor Dodds at the Foreign Office Research Department, Princes Street, London S W 1
' I have not yet completed the survey for which you asked me last Monday, but as I will be away for the greater part of this week, I would like you to have at least a partial reply.
A First the Question of other people in this country who also might be able to advise you.
(i) Mathematics: I cannot think of a mathematician proper, but Professor Max Born, whom I mentioned to you already on Monday, has very probably a knowledge not only of theoretical physicists but of mathematicians also. Born is a world famous theoretical pysicist. He was Professor at Gottingen, and was largely responsible for the reputation that this university had acquired in the field of physics and mathematics. At present he is professor at the University of Edinburgh, his address there being: The Department of Natural Philosophy.
(ii) Chemistry: I could not think of the right man in the field of pure chemistry, either organic or inorganic. However, I believe that Professor M. Polanyi, who is at present Professor of Physical Chemistry at Manchester University, might cover this field. Polanyi is a physical chemist of high reputation who was in charge of a depratment in Haber's Kaiser Wilhelm Institut for Physical Chemistry at Dahlem. His address is;
Department of Chemistry,
Victoria University
Manchester
(iii) Medicine: For this it seem difficult to me to find a man of the necessary standing and at the same time of the right personality. The great majority of outstanding medical people seem to have proceeded to the United States. I cannot actually think of anyone in the field of practical medicine. However, I can recommend someone to give advice in theoretical medicine, especially in physiology. He is Dr. Hermann Blaschko, at present working in the Department of Pharmacology at Oxford. Blaschko is a physiologist of notable reputation, who, before coming to this country in 1933, worked for some years with Meyerhof. Since 1934 he has been attached to the Department of Physiology at Cambridge, and has recently been offered his present position in Oxford. I have known him and his family for many years. Although Blaschko has not the seiority of the two others, before mentioned, I believe he would be the right man for you, as he knows personally a great many of the people concerned, and possesses a well-balanced judgement.
B. As to the actual question of commending persons in Germany who would be in a position to take over the direction of universities after the collapse: so far I cannot think of more people of whom I would be absolutely sure, without further inquiries, than those I mentioned to you a week ago, but I would like to give you a few more details about these.
(i) Otto Hahn: Professor Hahn, who is about 65 years old, is the outstanding authority in Radio-Chemistry. He was Director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institut for Chemistry at Dahlem, and still held this position in 1943, as the annual report on the Kaiser Wilhelm Institutes shows. This is in spite of his refusal to do any war work for the Nazis and his outspoken antagonism towards them He is an absolutely sincere personality, and there can be no doubt about the genuineness of his anti-Nazi feeling.
I believe that he would be the right man to take over the direction of the Kaiser Wilhelm Gesellschaft.
(ii) Max von Laue, who is now 65 years of age, is one of the world's leading theoretical physicists. He was professor of Theoretical Physics at Berlin University, and, as I saw in the Personal News of a German publication of January 1944, has resigned his professorship. As I had heard before in America, he has done so in order to have no obligation whatsoever towards the Nazi Government. Laue, like Hahn, has from the beginning shown antagonism towards the Nazis, and in 1933 both tried in vain to rally the scientists against them. They both did this in a way which entailed great personal danger for them and their families. While I do not know anything about Hahn's political background, I know that Laue belonged to the conservative group, but in contrast to the majority of German conservatives, he showed foresight and courage.
I am not sure whether Laue would be available for, or would even like to take charge of a University. He is a highly nervous man, and I doubt whether he would be very good as an administrator. However, I could imagine that he would make a very good adviser to the man - and I assume it will be an Englishman - who will be in charge of all the German Universities.
You may be astonished that Hahn and Laue who have often and openly shown their antagonism towards the Nazis, have not been imprisoned. Generally speaking, I always found that people who show courage have been better off than the great majority who are lukewarm. In this particular case perhaps the Nazis have left them more or less alone because they knew that the majority of the University people in Germany are spineless, and that the activities of these two alone could therefore never become a real danger. (The situation would have been different had these two, for instance, been churchmen). In addition the imprisonment of two people so well known all over the world would have made a very bad impression. However, I think it probable that shortly before the collapse they will be in great danger.
I hope to be able to give you some more information in about a week's time. ' |