| dc.creator | Carter, Amon Giles, 1879-1955 | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2022-03-23T15:20:16Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2022-03-23T15:20:16Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 1944-12-28 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://repository.tcu.edu/handle/116099117/51345 | |
| dc.description | Letter from Amon Carter to Stephen Early, press secretary for President Franklin Roosevelt, regarding prisoners of war at Oflag 64. | |
| dc.format.medium | 5x7.5 Paper | |
| dc.relation | Amon G. Carter Papers (MS 014) | |
| dc.rights | Prior written permission from TCU Special Collections required to use any document or photograph | |
| dc.source | Box 163, Roosevelt, Franklin D. 1942-1944 Folder, Item 067 | |
| dc.subject | Roosevelt, Franklin D. | |
| dc.subject | United States President | |
| dc.title | Letter re: prisoners of war | |
| dc.type | Document | |
| dc.description.transcription | 12/28/44 Steve Early Sec, to President Franklin D Roosevelt ear Steve, I sent you a long wire Dec 20th regarding conditions in Prisoner of War Camps in Germany, and asked you if you would be kind enough to show the wire to the president and ask him as a personal favor to me to send for Col Thomas D Drake and ask him to report in person conditions (?) and difficulties which he encountered as the Senior Prisoner of War in Oflag 64 in Poland for more than 15 months further stating this was not a reflection on the Amer Red Cross It is a problem which they have not been able to handle and with due respect I dont feel they can handle it, at least if they followed the Procedure they have in the past. Steve I wonder just how the President or you would feel if you had an only son in a German Prisoner Camp - with only 2 1/4 pounds of coal per week to keep him warm in 40 below zero weather and the further fact they did not get there (?) coats last year till Dec 13th (The same thing is happening (?) (?) (?)) and the fact they all receive one meal a day from the Germans while we are feeding their Prisoners of War in this country all the fat of the land. I have a strong feeling that the Story the Washington Post recently carried from (?) did not reflect the whole truth in fact when the censors got through with his (?) story you could hardly recognize it. Steve please tell me just who is responsible for hiding the real facts from the next of kin while it's hard to believe any one in (?) high or low would deliberetely missrepresent so grave and serious a question I have a feeling it is being done one thing I am sure of so help we had. if my Son should suffer with his life on account of the lack of a firm stand by the American Government (?) Red Cross war and state department. I shall hold the guilty ones responsible to rue with there lives. This may be rather frank language and I would naturally expect to give up my life as a consequence which I will cheerfully do as life without my only son would not have much value if the President will authorize Gen Eisenhower to broadcast to the German People and Army that the Amer Government will hold every last one of them personally responsible for and mistreatment for the Ame Prisoners of War. They will get results, and not until they do so Steve will you please ask the President to require Col Drake as well as Larry Allen A. P. Corespondent who was confined in Oflag 64 for 8 months to give him the whole truth and nothing but the truth. and then take such drastic action as will bring speedy relief before these poor Boys die of sickness and hunger -I am sure he will find out the Germans have forbid the Ame POW receiving any more Red Cross Packages without which they can not exist through the winter, they are short of warm clothes and blankets medical supplies food and fuel, they say we are fighting for a better world if so lets fight for better treatment for 30 or 40000 Amer POW in Germany - British Prisoners of War have received better treatment better mail service and a more liberal allowance of food less pilfering and Red tape from Germans when will our War Dept give our boys what they crave and want instead of what someone in the War Dept thinks the men should have our censors held up the garden seed sent our boys for more than a year they have permitted some (?) few to receive larger pkgs and even extra packages they will deny this but it is a fact - just the same - when the public and the next of kin do find out what is happening to our boys. In (?) (?) will be in full force Please pardon this long frank will I have no desire to offend any one or to be personal but I have spent many sleepless nights I wired the Red Cross in answer to their letter to me of Dec 12th and asked them to please cable Gould and ascertain if these boys had actually received there heavy coat blanket and Red Cross Pkgs - so far its been over two weeks and I have not ever received an acknowledgement of my wire. Steve Thank you Sincerely Amon Carter | |
