Edward J. Thomas - World War II
On Wed., Mar. 1 Fritz Sauckel, German's slave labor chief says that there are five million foreigners working in Germany with only two hundred thousand of them working voluntarily.
Below letter is copied from Eddie's letter word for word.
Aleutians
1 March 1944 (The Army Way)
2100 (Army Time)
Dear Mom & Harry:
I expected to write a sizable letter in enswer to yours of February 6,
but I kept postponing it so long that I began to get worried about my
failure to find time. I solved the 'problem though by deciding to write
some thing short--just an acknowledgement--which I believe is better than
nothing at all.
Mom, your valentine letter was really a thriller. Here I was, doubtful about
whether it would be possible to receive $75 a pelt for our platinums
and in black on white you tell me that we received $136.66. It was so
incredible at first that I almost convinced myself that the price might
be for the entire lot of platinum pelts. This was disastrous, I thought--
a complete washout. It wasn't very long, however, before I was relieved.
By accident via "Time" magazine I came across an article concerning 2500
platinum pelts which were auctioned off for $375,000. The article stated
that platinum edged out Russian sable to become for the time being the
highest priced fur in the world. Larry Moore was mentioned. In 1934 he
hed 100 mink and $383, so the story goes.At the platinum auction he sold
337 pelts ror the sweet sum of $5O,OOO . what a lucky man! I The men who
were most responsible for the platinum mutetion (Whitingham and Ingham)
weren't given any notice at all. I suppose they didn't heve as many pelts
for sale as Larry Moore.
Like all fur articles outside of fur magazines thisone was quite offkey.
It said that there were experiments with platinums ever since 1931,
but without success because Mendal's law wasn't understood. Larry Moore,
however, did understend it and told other ranchers how it could be used to
breed platinums. This is what I call unconscious humor.
A couple of days ego I tasted my first beer in about eight months.
All of the boys in my hut had to be transported by truck about 4 miles
through dripping wet darkness to a mess hall outside of our area to get this
beer. There was a piano there and the Irish organist in our hut played it
while we consumed our quota of three bottles per man. As I probably told
you before, this Irish organist has a wonderful ear and memory for music.
He Can play for hours without repeating himself. With this ability he was
able to give the beer rendezvous some atmosphere of a civilian party.
I don't know whether the beer was strong or whether I was weak. If it was
possible for one bottle of Army beer to give me that woozy feeling, then
I know that back in the States I shell have to dilute civilian beer with
ginger ale and drink it as a highball.
Harry, I was pleased to read that intriguing letter you wrote to mom
from Atlanta. The experience you had in the upper berth was somewhat similar
to my own. I too had difficulty in sleeping beceuse of the train's pitching
end shimming. There was a slight difference, though , in our situations.
For you it was cold, but for me it was too hot. I suppose it was queer to
see the temperature go lower and the snow get thicker as you traveled farther
south. In the "Newsweek" magazine I noticed that the weather Bureau explains
this weather condition as follows: "Drifting down from the northeast a
less-cold-than-usual high-pressure air body of polar origin collides with a
relatively weak but very wet low-pressure mass in the South or Southeast.
This interaction of dissimilar air causes moderate to heavy rains in the
Southeast, leaving the rest of the country dry. Ordinarily a winter
high-pressure area makes Americans' teeth chatter, but the current type although
chilling the East and Southeast and South is peculiar in that it brings
higher-than-normal temperatiures to the North Central and Northwestern States."
Isn't the Weather Bureau doing a splendid job in disrobing the weather of
its deep mysteries?
Say, I.forgot that this letter was only to be an acknowledgnent of
the last letters I received from both of you. I must stop now by all means.
Yours same as ever, Eddie
P.S. Mom, I held this letter in shorthand form for a couple of days before
it was possible for me to typewrite it and in the meantime I gladly received
another letter from you dated Feb 17. You wanted to know whether you should
get 8 bred female from Woodall. It sounds like a good idea. It's hard,
however, for me to say just exactly what should be done. I believe though
both of you are in a better position to decide and whatever decision you
come to, will be OK with me. There would be no advantage in purchasing anything
cheaper then a show-type female which could be returned if you find
it unsatisfactory and which carries a guarantee of a couple of female kits
that it will reproduce.
Tell Izzy, Mac, Gertie and Gene that I received their interesting letters
and that I enjoyed looking at those excellent snapshots of Gene, Gertie, and
Genie.
Also, I just received the latest copy of the American Fur Breeder which
confirms in more detail the prices mentioned in "Time".
Sat., Mar. 4 the U.S. Airforce begins its first bombing attack of Berlin.
