NOVEMBER,1946 363 etChristmasSuggestion ThepriceofCAREpackageshasnowbeenreduced to$10.Thisisfora49-lb.packageofmeat,cereal,butter,sugar,etc.;surplusArmyfieldrations;enoughto provide40meals. Whynot"give"yourfriendsCAREpackagesfor Christmas?Thatis,letussendaCAREpackagetoone ofourfamiliesabroad,inyourfriend'sname?Orsend apackageasyourownChristmasgift. Pleasemarkcontributions"ChristmasFund"andindi- cateinwhatnameyouwantthepackagesent. • court).Mywife,anarchitecturaldraughtsmanbyprofession, isdoingherbesttobuildusanewhome,whichisvery,very dificultinGermany.Youmayimaginehowgladandthankful weareforanykindofassistance. D. S., Moln-Pol-am-Rhine: Josef,myhusband,hasnotre- turnedfromRussia,whereheisprisoner.Iknowabouthim onlybyacomradewhohasreturnedlastyear.ButIamhop- ing,myhusbandwillreturnsoononlytherearenoclothes togivehim.ForwelosteverythingwhenIwasimprisonedby theGestapo.ButI have gotbackmytwochildren,whohad beninanorphan-asylum,andwearehappytobetogether now!Weliveherein2verypoorroomswithbrokenwals, andlastwinterwehadtosleepwith3personsononly onematress,withoutblankets.Willitbebeternextwinter? Idon'tknow.Ihavenotrecoveredmyhealth,whichIlostin captivity.ButIdonotlosehope! N.O.,Gelsenkirchen: Iam40yearsoldandlive.withmy parentswhothruthewarlostthegreaterpartoftheirpossessions.Imyselfwasapoliticalprisonerforalmostnineyears— inthevariousconcentrationcamps.EsterwegenandSachsenhausenareprobablyknowntoyou,too. Icamehomesick. Throughtheinhumanlivingconditions,theheaviestimaginablework,badfood,andthenworkingoutdoorsineverykind ofweather,Imanagedtocontractakidneyailmentandrheumatism.Alsomywristsarebadlydamaged,sinceIwashung uptwicebythehands.Sincepursuingmyprofession(clerk) isnowoutofthequestion,Ihavetriedtogetanysortofjob throughtheStateorotherAuthority.Untilnowmyeforts haveallbeeninvain.HadIbeenaNazioranactiveoficial, Imightperhapshavefoundapositionlongsince.Anyhow, that'showitappearshere.I'mhavingjustaslittlesuccessin getingshoesandclothesformyselfandmyfamily,whichwe alneedbadly. • K.L.,theSaarland: Mymothersendsacallforhelpforher- selfandfortheothers.Notapieceofbreadfor8days,nota potato,ormeatoranythingelsefor3weeks.Manypeopleare takingtheirlivesbecauseofhunger.Themiseryisindescribable.Wholefamiliesaretubercularbecauseofundernourish- ment.Mymotherisunderadoctor'scare.Shewritesthat shecannolongermakethetriptothedoctor'sofice,her strengthisfailingher.Shestaysinbedalldaylongbecause shehasnothingtoeatandthussheisabletosurvive.My sisteralsolivesthere.Shehas8children.Atnoonsheputs themalltobeduntiltheeveningwhenshegivesthemsome cabbagesoupandputsthembacktobed.Don'tthinkthisis anunusualsituation,thesamethingoccurseverywhere. MTh, Stutgart: IhavereceivedyourletterofJuly5th andIwil trytowrite'inEnglish,whatwehavefeltinreading.Wehavehad,badyegrsandwehavelostgoodsandchat- BibliotecaandBianco tels,butwesuferedstillmorebytheknowledgeofthein- humancrueltiesandcrimesdonebyGermansnotonlyinGermanybutalsointheoccupiedcountriesofEurope.Ourson hasfoughtforhisanti-fascistconvictionandhasbeenimprisoned2years.In1939hecouldfleetoSweden.Perhapswe willsoonhaveameetingagainwithhimandwithourdaughter-in-lawtoo.SheisajewessandGodbepraisedshehasnot hadthefatelikemillionsofjews.Sincetheendofthewarand theoccupationbytheAmericantroupeswearefreepeople, butwesuferforthecontemptandfortheconsciousnessof guilt,wehavetotake.Thereforeyourletterhasbeensomuch pleasant,becauseheprovesthebeliefofAmericanpeoplein internationalsolidarityandwewillhopethat,oneday,Ger- manycanfindagainaplaceinthecircleofthecivilized nations. J.F.,Newweid(writeninEnglish):Itistdelightfultoknow thatwehavefriendsintheworld,whodon'tvorgetusinour hardtimes.UnspeakableinthetroubletheNazisbroughtus anti-fascists.We,whohavefoughtalwaysagainstHitler,have nowmoretosuferashisfavourites.Youknow,myselfhad toliveforalongtimeinaforeigncountry.ThenIwasimprisonedbytheGestapoandhadtolive4yearsinprisonand inhousesofcorection.Hardworkandwantoffoodhave destroyedmyhealth.Andmyfamilyhadverymuchtosufer inthistime.Wehavehadnopleasureasanti-fascistsand nowwehavebeenverypoor.Andsoistthematterwithall anti-fascists.Theyhadtomakethegreatsacrificesandto-day theyhadtosuferfarther,becauseitwantsfood,clothing, shoesandcoals. H.R.,Braunschweig: Upto1933,Iwasateacherhere.The Gestapohadawarrantoutforme,but Iwasabletoescape withmywifetoHoland.WemovedtoFrancein1935and ALetter fromHolland DearFriendNancyMacdonald: TodayIreceivedafoodparcel,forwhichmyheartiest thanks.Youcannotimagineovertherewhatsucha packagemeanstous;mywifeandchildrenalsothank you. DearNancy, IreturnedtoHolandsick,wornout byallthesufferingIhadtoendureinGermanconcentrationcamps.Yes,weanti-fascistsweretreatedvery badlythere.Ofthe40anti-fascistsarestedwithme thatdayinRotterdam,38diedoftortureandstarva- tion.Forfouryearsofmylife, IwaskeptbytheNazis behindelectrifiedwireinDachau,Buchenwaldandother camps.Thebestofmycomradeslosttheirlivesatthe handsofthosebeast-men:suchcomradesasSneevliet, Menist,Dolemann.And,dearNancy,Iaskmyselfsometimesifoursacrificeshavenotbeentoobig?Yes,Ger- manfascismisdefeated,butreactionisstilstrongeverywhere.DearNancy,therewillalwaysbefightinginthe worldaslongasinternationalsolidarityisnotunderstood.Thiswehavetoachieve,Nancy.HereinHoland, thesocial-democratsandthecommunistscry:Down withtheGermans!Butsolidarity,dearNancy,mustin- chidetheGermans.It isself-evident,Nancy,that it shouldnotincludetheex-Nazisandotherpoliticalgang- stersinGermany(orthatkindofpeopleinHolandand America,either!).Butagainstthestreamanddespite everything,dearNancy,wemustoncemorereachafraternalunderstandingwiththeGermanpeople.IT Is THEONLYROAD.
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