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Collection: Weinhardt Family Letters
Author: Philipp Weinhardt
Recipient: John V. Weinhardt
Description: Letter from Philipp Weinhardt to his brother, John V. Weinhardt, July 3, 1927.
Philipp Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, July 3, 1927
English Text
Windsheim, 3 July 1927
Dear Hans,
I received your letter and learned that things are going well for you. I have only been able to partially fulfill your requests, so you will need a little patience.
I have sent you the catalogs of photo equipment that I was able to get. I will send you the main catalog for Zeiss in Jena as soon as I get it. I have enclosed an article from an issue of the Fränkischer Kurier about Chamberlain’s flight. The author of the article, Helmut von Mücke, was a member of the heroic crew of our cruiser Emden. He wrote this article to counter the false impression American visitors get of Germany. This is unfortunately the case for most foreigners who visit Germany. Most visit the entertainment centers of our large cities, but see nothing of the suffering and struggles of our people, nothing of the terror of the French in occupied territory, nothing of the suffering of the South Tirolers, the Sudeten Germans, the Bohemian Germans, the East Prussians, and the North Germans. They don’t realize that almost 40 million Germans languish under foreign rule. They don’t realize that during every minute of their visit, we have to pay 5000 Gold Marks, that thousands and thousands have lost everything, and many Germans have died of starvation. The lament of German suffering is endless. In spite of that, Germans cling to the hope that they can be saved through perserverance and work, not war. A disarmed and broken Germany hopes that overseas, insight and understanding will eventually break new ground. But we still have the French military commision in Germany which continues to have control over us. I am enclosing a newspaper article so you can read about the status of disarmament in and around Germany. Dark clouds hovered over Germany recently during the conflict between England and Russia: our land could have become their battlefields. Geneva and Locarno treaties prevailed. That’s how it is in Germany, but hopefully not for much longer.
Regarding your questions about how to get this ink, this is what I know: there are several formulations here. Ink that is invisible when written but visible on the application of heat can be achieved by using cobalt chloride (CoCl2). I will write to you about the formulation we used in Seminar School. Additionally, there is a type if ink that is visible only for a few hours, then vanishes forever. I will also send you this formulation. First, I need to ask my chemistry professor. All of these inks can be made visible by applying x-rays. This method has the advantage of leaving the document fully intact.
Here all are well. Best regards from Father and Mother. With best wishes
your brother Philipp
Just now, Mother brought me strawberries from our garden. Want some? Then come home soon, else they will all be gone. If you want me to get you anything else, write to me and let me know.
Letter metadata
