(To Virginia and Eugene gauss, near Columbia, Missouri,
from William T. Gauss, Colorado Springs, Colorado).
June 30, 1923
Dear Cousins Virginia and Eugene:
At the request of our cousin,
Carl Gauss, at Hameln, Hannover, Germany, through letter to our daughter,
I am writing you in re: the very serious conditions existing with
him at this time, owing to the terrible financial conditions in Germany
and the consequent depreciating value and purchasing power of the "mark"
- as one instance of which, he mentions the fact that a f lb.
loaf of bread, which before the war cost one mark, costs now
750 marks. And with everything advancing in price by leaps
and bounds as it is, and marks boing lower and lower, he says it will
not be long before the price will be 1600 to 1700 marks.
As he sees it, the only outlook
for people like himself (he is going on 75), - old, and without wage-earning
power, is one of gradual starvation.
He expresses himself very
appreciatively for what you with the rest of us did for him last year,
and says while it is very hard for him to have to come back again with
another letter like this, yet is forcing himself to do so. Says
the sum need not be large, by any means, since with the purchasing value
which our U. S. dollar carries, a small amount in them will go a long
way in buying anything over there and also in helping to lift him out
of his present serious condition. this time, however, what we
send will be in U. S. money and not in exchange, as last year.
I am sending his letter on
to sister Mary (in DeSoto, Missouri), who will be glad to forward it
to you, in case you can read German.
In case you are disposed
to assist again in coming to his help, I shall be glad to attend to
sending it on for you.
I hope you are both well
and everything going well with you. Your Cousin Helen Joins with
me in sending love and kindest regards.
Very truly, your cousin,
Wm. T. Gauss
P. S. As we have rented our home for the summer,
please address reply to our office. As you are likely aware, the
market price on German money at this time in our money is - $6.50 to
$7.00 per million marks.
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