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World War 1 Letters Home March 1917
Arthur's brother recovering from dysentery, a German spy in the Vatican, news breaks about "The Zimmerman Telegram" ...
France
Sunday Night March 11th 1917
My Dear Mother
Yrs. of 4th came two days ago …
This morning I got a letter from Will dated 6th & he seemed to be going on fairly well & expected to be evacuated to England before long & of course will get a month or 6 wks. leave to get fit & well again, as it will take time to get up his strength, so they will no doubt, all go home to Celbridge & he will be able to look after his farm a bit. Curious how he got it, yet the extraordinary thing is that we all don’t get it, as the habits & customs here are, as you know, not as in England but the people of the country get used to it no doubt, but we can scarcely do so …
Fancy that Mgr Gerlach [Monsignor Rudolph Gerlach, German Chamberlain to Pope Benedict XV] spying & using Vatican as a means to get his letters through to Switz. & of course Germany; what a pity they let him get away, to absurd, he was a spy of the worst order & should have been treated as such. Not a German of any sort or kind should be received into any of the Allied countries for a fixed number of years after the war, they are the lowest of the low! The Austrians are little better, but of course have some excuse if one can use the term, as they are absolutely under Germany’s thumb.
Best love
Yr affect son
Arthur
Very interesting the German intrigue in Mexico & U.S.A. they tried everywhere. [A reference to the Zimmerman Telegram]
Sunday Night March 11th 1917
My Dear Mother
Yrs. of 4th came two days ago …
This morning I got a letter from Will dated 6th & he seemed to be going on fairly well & expected to be evacuated to England before long & of course will get a month or 6 wks. leave to get fit & well again, as it will take time to get up his strength, so they will no doubt, all go home to Celbridge & he will be able to look after his farm a bit. Curious how he got it, yet the extraordinary thing is that we all don’t get it, as the habits & customs here are, as you know, not as in England but the people of the country get used to it no doubt, but we can scarcely do so …
Fancy that Mgr Gerlach [Monsignor Rudolph Gerlach, German Chamberlain to Pope Benedict XV] spying & using Vatican as a means to get his letters through to Switz. & of course Germany; what a pity they let him get away, to absurd, he was a spy of the worst order & should have been treated as such. Not a German of any sort or kind should be received into any of the Allied countries for a fixed number of years after the war, they are the lowest of the low! The Austrians are little better, but of course have some excuse if one can use the term, as they are absolutely under Germany’s thumb.
Best love
Yr affect son
Arthur
Very interesting the German intrigue in Mexico & U.S.A. they tried everywhere. [A reference to the Zimmerman Telegram]
The Encrypted Zimmerman Telegram. Courtesy NARA
|
The Decoded Zimmerman Telegram. Courtesy NARA
|
In January 1917 British Intelligence intercepted and deciphered a telegram from German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmermann to the German ambassador in Mexico, Heinrich von Eckhardt, offering USA territory to Mexico in return for Mexico declaring war on the USA.
To protect British Intelligence the telegram wasn't presented to President Woodrow Wilson until February 24th. The telegram hit the newspapers on March 1st and helped change US public perception of the war. It was only a matter of time until the USA declared war on Germany on 6th April 1917. |
Arthur is pleased about the Russian Revolution, feels sorry for the children, thinking of taking some leave in April ...
Convois Automobiles
S.S.Anglais.3
Par B.C.M.
Paris
Sat Night 17th March 1917
My Dear Mother
…
Great excitement seems to be Russia, a very good thing it seems, high time it happened, the pro German Court party were so strong & I suppose his wife, a Hesse, was probably like Mrs Greece, very pro German, tho’ I never heard especially that she was. Germans have been trying hard for a long time to make a separate peace with Russia & I suppose overdid it with this result. I feel so sorry for the Miss Czars, nice sorts I believe & always thought one would make a good wife for P. of W. about only lot to choose from except Miss Italy & there the religion would be a difficulty. Probably a repetition of all this will happen in Germany before it is all done …
My year is up end this month. I think of leaving for home 10th April & will spend a few days in London. I will probably return to Section, but will not sign any contract before I get home & so I can take 5 or 6 wks. as am both over military age & Irish, so have no scruples about it, especially as I shall have been out over a year without a day’s leave & considerably over two years as a volunteer …
Shall be very glad to get a spell from all this, one gets so weary of it, but better weather makes a lot of difference, still one feels want of change.
Best love
Yr affect. son
Arthur
S.S.Anglais.3
Par B.C.M.
Paris
Sat Night 17th March 1917
My Dear Mother
…
Great excitement seems to be Russia, a very good thing it seems, high time it happened, the pro German Court party were so strong & I suppose his wife, a Hesse, was probably like Mrs Greece, very pro German, tho’ I never heard especially that she was. Germans have been trying hard for a long time to make a separate peace with Russia & I suppose overdid it with this result. I feel so sorry for the Miss Czars, nice sorts I believe & always thought one would make a good wife for P. of W. about only lot to choose from except Miss Italy & there the religion would be a difficulty. Probably a repetition of all this will happen in Germany before it is all done …
My year is up end this month. I think of leaving for home 10th April & will spend a few days in London. I will probably return to Section, but will not sign any contract before I get home & so I can take 5 or 6 wks. as am both over military age & Irish, so have no scruples about it, especially as I shall have been out over a year without a day’s leave & considerably over two years as a volunteer …
Shall be very glad to get a spell from all this, one gets so weary of it, but better weather makes a lot of difference, still one feels want of change.
Best love
Yr affect. son
Arthur
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