Our Daily News Letter

On a large open space near Chicago, away from the smoke and noise of the city, the fate of the Einstein theory of relativity will soon be decided. A month ago this place was a pasture ground for cattle and farmers’ children played football here, but now it has become the center of interest for the scientists of the whole world.

Experiments which are to establish whether the Einstein theory is correct or not will take place here at a cost of over twelve thousand dollars to the University of Chicago.

Hundreds of articles and essays and books have been written on the relativity theory founded by that celebrated Jewish scientist, Einstein, but there are very few persons who understand anything about it. There is a joke extant in this respect which is not without its point: it is said that not only is the public at large ignorant about Einstein’s theory, but even the authors of the many books, pamphlets and articles on this subject are equally ignorant about it.

But it is conceded by all that Professor Michaelson of the University of Chicago, who is in charge of the tests which will be made to ascertain the truth about the Einstein theory, knows as much about that theory as any living man, excepting Einstein himself.

Professor Michaelson, like Einstein, is a proud Jew. He is one of the greatest scientists of our day. Something that is not generally known is that it was a discovery made by Professor Michaelson in 1880 in the field of physics which gave Albert Einstein the impulse to occupy himself with the relativity theory, which he worked out and later announced to a startled world.

Hence it is not surprising that the University of Chicago wishing to test the theory of relativity commissioned Professor Michaelson to perform the task.

Michaelson now holds in his hands the key to the Einstein theory. The world’s eyes are rivetted on him in expectation of the results of his tests on that big field near Chicago. Thus one Jewish scientist is putting the theory of another Jewish scientist to the test.

I interviewed Professor Michaelson. After explaining the manner in which he is testing the Einstein theory, he said to me:

“Anyway, my opinion is that many of Einstein’s statements will remain scientific truths, even if our experiments should prove that his relativity theory as a whole is not entirely correct. Einstein has made many new discoveries which are thoroughly logical from a scientific point of view. Sooner or later when the world becomes more familiarized with the contents of the relativity theory, those parts of it which are true will be distinguished from the untrue, and Einstein’s deserts will be fully appreciated. He will most likely remain one of the greatest scientists of all time.”