There Is A. Great Poverty!

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 88, 30 August 1948, Page 5

There Is A. Great Poverty!

CONDITIONS IN POST-WAR GERMANY When Allied troops occupied Germany at the end of World War I, a young New Zealander was billetted with Joseph Schreckenberg, postmaster, at Immigrath, Germany. They found their common occupation ground for keeping in touch for some time, but the threads were dropped. Recently Mr S. W. Hills, now Postmaster at Whakatane, heard from his German friend again. \ That first letter, written in February, 1947, and breaking the silence of the years, was a tragic document, but not without humour in the clumsy phrasing of the English into which it had ben translated, as a later letter explained, by a 13-year-old boy whose knowledge of pur language was far from polished though adequate to get the message across. Here is the letter:— “After so many years, wee’ll describe our need. Jn the Radio J heard that New Zealand has no any distress. You had your quarter by us in the Post Office, still this day we could remember us thereabout. In course of time we have lost terribe years. All our splendid town has

been destroyed. Cologne and Dusseldorf have gone. The war changed us in poor people and al our destiny. We have to ow our damned Hitler— Nazi. At the time you was by us, youngest Heribert got the birth, and horible. by Russian. “Please believe me, here by us in Germany is great evil, and al men are very hungry. We freeze here much, we have no coal to fire. The children have not any shoes, and no dress to put on. Help us, as soon as possible. ’Please collect by our neighbour clothing that has been beared. If may be you will? send us wool that we can something knit. But also be merciful, thus we pray for something to eat. We have nothing to wash, soap a.s.o. In former times you had helped us, do that once more. J’ll send out in this letter nice post-stamps, or J’ll knit you something in german Work. Certainly our blood will save you soon there fore. Only soon help for there is a great poverty. Thus it is, that illmpn have no any medicin. There is for the .mortal body no coffin, because the wood is used for coal (fire stuff). Now I’ll hope that you this writing soon reach. Please answer me again. “Help us. Help us.” Mr Hills decided he would help, with the result that he sent a parcel, the first of a number, and that led to a correspondence that still goes on, with his German friends expressing touching gratitude for the assistance they have received.