35. Donnan of course was Robert’s tutor at UCL, but during WW1 he was a
consultant to the Ministry of Munitions and worked with the renowned
chemical engineer K. B. Quinan on plants for the fixation of nitrogen. For
this work, Donnan later received the CBE (1920) and he would have fully
appreciated the importance of Robert’s work.
36. There was a precedent here however; Pierre Curie (and others) demanding
that his wife Marie too be nominated for the 1903 Physics prize alongside
himself. Strings were pulled and she was awarded jointly with him. However,
there is record of Haber doing the same for Le Rossignol.
37. Branting was leader of the Swedish Social Democrats 1907–1925, Minister
of Finance at the time of the announcement of the award, and Prime
Minister in 1920, 1921–1923 and 1924–1925. Branting was jointly awarded
the Nobel Peace Prize in 1921 for his contributions to the League of Nations.
His displeasure therefore would have carried influence both in Sweden and
beyond.
38. The issue of 17 November 1919, from Friedman, op. cit. (note 34).
39. Published in ‘Letters’ on 03 February 1920.
40. Jerome Alexander (1880–1953) was a chemical engineer and consulting
chemist whose work in colloid chemistry made fundamental contributions to
the subject. He was also a prolific essayist, poet and communicator
exchanging letters with chemists and physicists—including many Nobel Prize
winners—regarding their contributions to colloid chemistry. His opinion(s)
were highly valued and like Branting, his observations regarding Haber’s prize
would have been noted by the international community.
41. Although he accepted that Germany’s people and armed forces had to be fed.
42. In the summer of 1917, Count Luxburg sent secret dispatches to Berlin
through the Swedish Legation via Stockholm, which were made public by
United States Secretary of State Robert Lansing. These dispatches urged that
certain Argentine ships should be sunk ‘without a trace’ (spurlos versenkt).
The publication of the documents resulted in the dismissal of Count Luxburg
from Argentina, and the entry of Argentina into the war. Luxburg was also
Minister to Uruguay, and on his dismissal from Argentina, he asked for a
passport to Montevideo instead of to Berlin.
43. In a letter to his friend Richard Willstätter, Haber found it inconceivable that
Stockholm would consider ‘Germans nominated by Germans’—being aware
of course of the reluctance of Allied chemists to nominate him. Only
Wilhelm Prandtl (Chap. 14) had supported him in 1918 and he knew
nothing of the Committee’s maneuverings on his behalf. He was convinced
that his legacy hadn’t really amounted to much, being an academic ‘rock
hopper’, jumping from one thing to another. See Daniel Charles, Between
Genius and Genocide, Jonathan Cape, London, (2005), p. 195.
44. Due to an infection following a mastoid operation.
15 The Post-war Years 1919–1930
359
consultant to the Ministry of Munitions and worked with the renowned
chemical engineer K. B. Quinan on plants for the fixation of nitrogen. For
this work, Donnan later received the CBE (1920) and he would have fully
appreciated the importance of Robert’s work.
36. There was a precedent here however; Pierre Curie (and others) demanding
that his wife Marie too be nominated for the 1903 Physics prize alongside
himself. Strings were pulled and she was awarded jointly with him. However,
there is record of Haber doing the same for Le Rossignol.
37. Branting was leader of the Swedish Social Democrats 1907–1925, Minister
of Finance at the time of the announcement of the award, and Prime
Minister in 1920, 1921–1923 and 1924–1925. Branting was jointly awarded
the Nobel Peace Prize in 1921 for his contributions to the League of Nations.
His displeasure therefore would have carried influence both in Sweden and
beyond.
38. The issue of 17 November 1919, from Friedman, op. cit. (note 34).
39. Published in ‘Letters’ on 03 February 1920.
40. Jerome Alexander (1880–1953) was a chemical engineer and consulting
chemist whose work in colloid chemistry made fundamental contributions to
the subject. He was also a prolific essayist, poet and communicator
exchanging letters with chemists and physicists—including many Nobel Prize
winners—regarding their contributions to colloid chemistry. His opinion(s)
were highly valued and like Branting, his observations regarding Haber’s prize
would have been noted by the international community.
41. Although he accepted that Germany’s people and armed forces had to be fed.
42. In the summer of 1917, Count Luxburg sent secret dispatches to Berlin
through the Swedish Legation via Stockholm, which were made public by
United States Secretary of State Robert Lansing. These dispatches urged that
certain Argentine ships should be sunk ‘without a trace’ (spurlos versenkt).
The publication of the documents resulted in the dismissal of Count Luxburg
from Argentina, and the entry of Argentina into the war. Luxburg was also
Minister to Uruguay, and on his dismissal from Argentina, he asked for a
passport to Montevideo instead of to Berlin.
43. In a letter to his friend Richard Willstätter, Haber found it inconceivable that
Stockholm would consider ‘Germans nominated by Germans’—being aware
of course of the reluctance of Allied chemists to nominate him. Only
Wilhelm Prandtl (Chap. 14) had supported him in 1918 and he knew
nothing of the Committee’s maneuverings on his behalf. He was convinced
that his legacy hadn’t really amounted to much, being an academic ‘rock
hopper’, jumping from one thing to another. See Daniel Charles, Between
Genius and Genocide, Jonathan Cape, London, (2005), p. 195.
44. Due to an infection following a mastoid operation.
15 The Post-war Years 1919–1930
359