Page 5, Die Welt-Post, Thursday, June 5, 1924
A Request From Russia
(From Dinkel, Straub and Lauwe)
March 30, 1924
Esteemed comrade Schneider:
We, the undersigned, residents of the villages of Dinkel, Straub and Lauwe, Russia, Kanton Kukkus, members of the Lauwe Agricultural Credit Association, turn to you with this writing for help and support in our extremely difficult materials situation. Our associates at the Agricultural Credit Association are already discussing our lines of credit and plans. We must have help in obtaining credit? support. Local means are not sufficient and thus we here must seek strong support from outside.
Since you are now in America and directly working for we distressed sons of the proletariat, we urgently request that you bestir our relatives and friends in America to help us repair our agricultural economy which was completely destroyed during the European slaughter, the Civil War and the terrible famine that followed. Most of us are without a single horse; many do not have a single cow or goat. An agricultural economy would not be in a worse state. Livestock and farm machinery; this is now our shortage, much as the food shortage was during the famine period. We here hope that our brethren across the ocean have not closed their hearts and that it is still possible for you to help us get back on our feet.
We, as an active credit association, call upon you to stand with us in the bank of life, that you stand with us so we may obtain credit for wheat seed. It would make us extremely happy if our brothers would support and strengthen the important work of our Volga German Bank in supporting and promoting our progress.
In closing we ask you, comrade Schneider, if you or any of our other brethren across the ocean have any means (monetary support) meant for us in particular, that the same be transferred through our bank in Pokrowsk for which we bespeak to?you our most cordial thanks. We also ask that you publish this letter in the German language newspapers.
In the hope of the imminent arrival of assistance, we are:
Heinrich August Zeiler, Georg Heinrich Rau, August H. Lutz, Peter Ries, Friedrich Damken, Johann Georg Mehl, Peter Schneider, Jacob Peterson, G. Peter Baidin, David Wegele, Heinrich Wulf, Fried. (Rau) Wulf, G. Peterson, Gottfried Rau, Philipp Peterson, Georg Peter Lutz, Phil. Heinr. Hoelzer, Jacob Mehl, J. Hoelzer, Philipp Hoelzer, Johann Georg Lutz, Philipp Schneider, K. Grasmueck, Wilhelm Popp, J. Hoelzer and Heinr. Heinr. Rau.
Translation courtesy of Hugh Lichtenwald