Dangos 253 canlyniad

Detailing definitive arrangement for Ifor's trip to Germany. He details costs and suggest a route of travel; provides advice on how best to prepare and the things he should bring with him.

In reply to ILE. The writer states he is currently busy studying French, specifically the essays of Montaigne, whose philosophy he likes, but whose style he finds archaic and incorrect. There is not much new to say about events at the Lycée. Fat Laborde has gone to Paris to enter St. Louis to prepare for joining the navy in three years time. The writer is working hard, though not as much as in the first semester, as he has been a little distracted with writing literary prose and poetry. He goes to Paris once a month to do something disreputable. This might scandalize ILE, but what is a man to do? He has to divert himself somehow. There is a new Scottish boy who as yet does not speak a word of French. He is quite rich and has been living it up. The principal has remonstrated with him several times, but always to no avail. And he has a saying that the French are "no more pigs" than the others. The writer is getting bored at the Lycée as he has been here for four years. Hopefully at Easter he will go to Paris to attend the Lycée Carnot, with the old Principal who was so much fun. He is only interested in his studies now so he can go to Paris where there is so much binging, he will forget about work. He has heard ILE is off to Germany for his studies. He hopes that ILE will write him from time to relate his experiences of the Germans and their habits.

Thanks for card of 7th this month. ILE is well. Please inform parents I can be released from prison in Nuremberg in return for 3000 marks bounty. Dale and Hughes have been released in the town for the last 3 weeks because of their health. Send greetings to my family.

He was delighted to hear from Ifor and wishes he was in a position to accept his offer to spend a weekend with him and his parents. However his future plans are currently uncertain and he is unable to consider anything of the kind at present. Mr Dale explains that he has plans to visit Gibraltar 14-20 January, though has had trouble getting his passport. So much so that he dare not leave town in case he is summoned to attend the Passport Office. He will be travelling overland via Paris and Madrid; he will return via Rome and Paris. He writes that all this travelling has given him an excuse to retire from his post at St Stephen's. He asks what Ifor is planning to do with himself before saying that if he thinks of coming to town before he leaves, he will be most welcome to stay.

Glad to hear ILE's news after these last five years. His French is excellent. He addresses ILE with tu as this is common usage amongst comrades, especially in the army. He is glad to hear that the political debacle gives ILE no pleasure. The military debacle neither. The writer and his fellow soldiers were en route to the front towards Nachy for the 'famous' attack that never took place because the colonel came past in his automobile crying out to us the good news. The last three months of the war under the command of General Mangin have been hard. Perhaps ILE knows that the general has a bad reputation. The writer does not know whether the German army deserved its defeat. Perhaps all that happened was deserved. In the army we have always considered that the enemy troops defended themselves tenaciously until the very end. We were, after three months of pursuit, in front of their famous Hermann Stellung at the end of last October and the Prussian Troops defended it with their usual courage and their artillery gave a good and precise account of itself. As for the writer, he will not be demobilized until June or July. Meanwhile they are having a capital time in the Alsace. If ILE is in France in six months perhaps they could meet, but in these times nothing is certain. The writer ends by speculating whether in the future he will go to study in Paris or Edinburgh.

How is ILE? Writer has gone to war and has been at the frontlines since the beginning. He has experienced great misfortunes, having lost his brother, mother and little daughter. The only person left to him in the world is his wife. He asks ILE's opinion of the war and states that England has good reasons for pursuing its participation in the war with vigour. Morale is excellent. He awaits ILE's letter impatiently.

Translation from Welsh:-- Dear Leslie, -- Thank you for your letter. I think that my last letter made you quite agitated. -- Firstly let me congratulate you on your success in the exam, although of course I did not expect anything less. I hope you will continue to work easily during the coming years. -- Many thanks for the third book that you sent me. I have now read all three and I must say that they are very interesting in their simplicity. -- Now to the main topic. I can quite understand that you are tired of waiting for me come to some agreement. I am nearly always unsettled in my mind or rather long in coming to a decision. I am very sorry that I cannot promise to be your intended wife, and as you are determined to receive an immediate answer, I now have to break any connection forever. I can imagine what you will think of me after you have read this news and you will be dissatisfied that I did not say this to you before now and think that the little correspondence between us was a waste of time. I would never had agreed to write to you if it wasn't for the fact that I loved you better than any other boy that I have met and I do not regret thinking about our relationship, because it was completely platonic. -- I hope that you will continue to be a friend to me (perhaps in some light-hearted way) but I think that we will see each other only infrequently. -- I can't see my way clear at all in preparing myself to be a wife to you. Circumstances are totally against me as I will have to return home before the end of the year, more's the pity. -- I am having a good time on this island, and am learning to swim and row every day. We wander quite a lot here as well. -- I will finish now, hoping that you will have a good holiday this year as last year, as I believe that this will do so much good to you physically but even more spiritually or mentally. -- Farewell for now with best possible wishes for your future. -- From Anne -- P.S. Don't think that someone has influenced me in this choice. I have not asked anyone for advice or anything and no one knows my circumstances. I shall do my best to be fair with you. You will now be free to arrange your future as you wish.

18 March 1921 - Letter from Karl Seifert; (son-in-law of writer next letter), who appears to be the owner of the pension that ILE was staying in at the start of the war before he was imprisoned). -- 17 March 1921 - Letter from Leisterer Frase?: ILE's letter gave them all joy. Happy to overhear ILE has overcome his war sufferings and that he should be able to take up his studies again in his home country. The writer and his family are astonished at the quality of his German. The writer agrees with ILE's political opinions. He is a democrat and believes that only a good democratic government can help Germany recover from its misfortunes. The evil war has also affected our family. The pension has been affected by the bad economy and the pension rooms have now been turned into homes. In one of them my son-in-law, Karl Seifert lives with my daughter Elli. Their small son, Walter (the enclosed picture) is the third person in their home. Karl lost his left foot during the war and was an English prisoner of war for a long time. He can walk well on his artificial foot - up to 15 kilometres. After being wounded several times, but always recovering, Gotthard ended up as a French prisoner of war. He returned in an enfeebled state in February 1920, but recovered fast under our care. He has had to quit his university studies, as circumstances have forced him to take up a job to support himself. He is an intern in a trading company in Mannheim. Little Helmut is now a head taller than the writer. Shortly before the war ended he had to become a soldier, but he came back as healthy as he went in. He has decided to become a land surveyor and is studying geodesy at the University in Bonn. The writer and his wife are doing fine, but his hair has become gray because of the times. He still has his job at the Institute and Karl, the writer's son-in-law, has been appointed study advisor at the Real Schule. In comparison to the past the writer and his family only have a third of their income. They can no longer afford a maid, so the writer and his wife are doing jobs at their age that they have never needed to do before. They, as teachers, like all civil servants are economically worse and worse off. Soon their small savings from earlier times will have run out, and what will happen then to find ways or means to better the situation of the former middle classes. The Germans are prepared to meet the just demands of the Entente, but they hope that the victors will be able to distinguish what is possible and what is impossible in the time frame allotted, so that it will be possible for the mutual trust between the peoples to grow again. The speech of Lloyd George in the House of Commons on the Upper Silesian question has somewhat raised the low mood in Germany. Let's hope these hopeful words will be matched by deeds, so that the Poles will not steal the land that has belonged to Germany for the last 2000 years. The writer agrees with ILE that politics is a pastime of the devil. He has good memories of ILE's time with them. Inclosed photograph with Greetings from Walter (the Baby on the photograph).

Asking if Ifor will be his best man at his wedding to take place between 20-22 October.

Sending his gratitude that Ifor has agreed to be his best man for his wedding, which is now set to take place 22 October 1921.

States that they are doing all that they can with regards to Ifor L. Evans' predicament.

Writes that he had hoped to be in a position to offer Mr Evans some news, but when he visited the Foreign Office yesterday he was not able to see the gentlemen he wished. He has been informed via an unofficial source that 2 or 3 weeks must pass before anything can be done.

He has just received Mr Evans' letter and a telegram from Copenhagen. Mr Hoyle cannot offer any explanation for the message beyond what is contained in the telegram. However he expects the letter on which it is based to arrive in due course. He supposes the 5000 marks (£250) requested is a security for good behaviour and asks if any similar requests have been made of other prisoners known to Mr Evans. Mr Hoyle recommends not acting on the matter until the original letter is to hand.

She writes that she has just returned from Nuremberg and while she did not meet Ifor herself, a friend of hers knows him. She has been given a message to pass on; his son is well but longing for home, he will only be released on payment of 3000 marks (£150). The only means of transmitting this money would be through the American Consul.

He writes that Sir Alfred Moud has been making enquiries regarding the payment of "Caution Money" to obtain Ifor's release in Nuremberg. He reports that the Foreign Office is strongly opposed to such payments, fearing it will lead to all British prisoners held in Germany being blackmailed. Mr Evans writes that while it is difficult not being able to help Ifor, he agrees with their view. Mr Evans is under the impression (from information given by a private source) that Ifor is the only British person still imprisoned. He is at a loss as to why this may be so; he has not heard from Ifor for over 3 weeks. He has also not heard of the Germans asking for such payments for either B. J. Dale or Dr Haufse's(?) son. Furthermore, he writes about the plans Ifor had to try for a modern language scholarship at Cambridge but fears that his plans will be upset by his detainment. He suspects that without this any prospects for a University career will have to be abandoned. However he hopes his experience will prove useful in any future career he might undertake.

Acknowledges receipt of communication from Mr W. J. Evans and informs him that a dispatch from the foreign office dated 08 October 1914 states that they are not to take part in the transmission of letter to persons in enemy or neutral countries. They're also under no circumstances to forward money.

In reply to Mr Evans note he is requesting further information to better assist with his son's case. He states that this is the first case he has heard of caution money being demanded.

Officially stating that Mr I. Leslie Evans is interred as a civilian prisoner of war in Germany.

08 September 1914. Letter from J. Towyn Jones expressing his sympathy for the circumstances Ifor and his parents find themselves in. -- 20 October 1914. Letter in reply to Mr Evans letter to Mr David Thomas concerning his son. It gives the legal opinion of the Foreign Office that caution money should not be paid out for prisoners. -- 11 November 1914. Letter from Thomas Cook and Son, Bankers and Tourist Agents. Confirms they have received instructions for transferring 100 marks to Ifor L. Evans. -- 12 November 1914. Letter from J Keir Hardie regarding the caution money required for Ifor's release. -- 25 November 1914. Letter from Equ A. Crowe stating that he has been directed by Sir E. Grey to write that the United States Ambassador to Berlin has been requested to make enquiries and in some cases representations in cases where bail has been demanded. He write that under the circumstances money should not be sent. -- 27 November 1914. Letter from the Foreign Office stating that all that can be done via the United States embassy. It also states that it seems likely that the prisoners have been transferred to a prison camp, likely Ruhleben.