Ah, a man of science! Einstein gave a lecture at the University of Leiden in 1920 about Relativity and Ether Theory. He said that the idea there was something there between particles was acceptable, to be able to measure distance and such, but that he didn't want to attribute any physical properties to it as a "ponderous medium". Then he told us that space curves around solid objects...
Relative to this, Einstein did not want to accept that the universe was expanding. He included a "universal constant" in his formulas to negate it, but later accepted that expansion existed. It bothered him because it meant that the universe had a beginning and could possibly indicate a creator, though he never accepted any form of religion. He wanted the universe to be constant and steady, as shown by his modification of his equations. This is likely why he rejected the idea that space had a fluid nature, which others like Nikola Tesla believed.
This is also likely why he developed the theory of relativity. A question is asked, if a charged particle in motion produces a magnetic field, and if the Earth is rotating, orbiting the sun, and the entire galaxy is spinning and moving through space, why don't charged particles always produce that magnetic field? Einstein suggested that it was because reality revolves around your perceptions, which is "you think the world revolves around you" on a grander scale. A much simpler answer was a version of "ether dragging". The particle is actually stationary within that bit of space, or quantum field, or whatever, being pulled through the rest of space by gravity. Some ideas on faster than light travel include pulling a bit of space along with the ship to avoid all the conflicts with special relativity, but people don't realize that it too is a version of "ether dragging"
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