Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1919-12-10
Emil Rosenthal Received Letter
i'm Germany Who Tells
About Bad State Country
is In
ONE WOULD SHUDDER
| AT GERMANY OF TODAY
Very Difficult for the Majority of
the People to Get Enough to
Live On, Prices Enormous
ly High.


week by Emil Rosenthal, of this
city, from his sister living in Ger
many is sample of what the peo-
pie over there have suffered and are
suffering between the lines may be
read about as much of a hard luck
story as can well be imagined. And
class of citizens over yonder. What
the poor must have suffered must
certainly have been appalling.
Berlin, Oct. 20, 1919.
My Dear ,Ones:-
You will no doubt wonder my
dear brother, at receiving a sign OF
life from me after such long time
has passed. But as | have heard
from many sources that the mails
are regular again, longing grips
me to try to ascertain something
definite as to your conditions of life
and your health. Hope these lines
may find you all enjoying good
l can report from us. AS you no
doubt have heard, dear brother, we
have had most distressing time
over her. Firstly the four years of
actual war and at present unrest
and strife everywhere. Everything
has been so terribly high that it
ha, haan povf m ir,nnco;hla IN uaf
along with what my husband earns.
Money has absolutely no value here.
As you perhaps have heard had
with me here son of our brother.
He attended the Seminary here and
wanted 10 become teacher lie has
helped us out very. much. But in
| 1915 he was drafted In the war and.
alas, died in battle in August 1917.
My husband was also called into the
war. And you can imagine it was
no easy matter to get along with
little or no support from anyone,
until January 1919 1 received some
help from our dear brother, at least
were concerned. But then the great
revolution came when the Poles oc-
cupied the province of Posen, and
NOW we have not even heard from
each other for three-fourths of
year. Because of this trouble and
sorrow l was taken sick, had TO
have the doctor very day and grew
very weak, and as had not the
means to buy costly foodstuffs 1 at
one time feared the worst. But the
dear Lord graciously helped me
over it, so I could try to bring up
my two children to be respectable
people.
I There is now a strike going on in
the shop in which my husband
works, and for three weeks he has
earned nothing. Still every day
! brings it's enormous expense, and it
is very, very difficult for us to get
along! You would shudder, my dear
brother, if you were in Germany
now and got to see what has be-
come of it. Our dear brother has
certainly also had anything but joy
Of late. His son was youth of
whom we were all proud, and our
brother looked forward to his being
a support for him in his latter
years. But that evil war has blasted
not only his hope but the hopes OF
so many families. Before the war
We had sufficient for our wants, but
because of the war and sickness and
sorrows We are now in sadly re (.
duced circumstances. 1t would
make my heart glad to hear from
you as soon as you receive this let
/, ter, so we can find out how you all
are. Oh how fast the years have
flown by. I am already gray hair
led woman. | have two children, a
! girl II and boy 10. AS soon as
hear from you l will send you a
picture. / send the best greetings
and wishes to you all from your
sister living at such long distance
from you.
MARIE.