My
father’s parents emigrated from England to Rhode Island in 1911. On September 11, 1939, my grandfather, Arnold
Pritchard Sr. wrote to his old friend
Charles Parry, in Colwyn Bay, Wales.
Nazi Germany had invaded Poland on September 1; in response Britain and
France declared war on Germany on September 3.
The United States remained neutral until the attack on Pearl Harbor in
December 1941.
Charles
Parry was a chemist – what in the U.S. would be called a pharmacist. Arnold Pritchard Sr. had worked as a clerk in
England, and in the U.S. wound up running his own very small dry goods
business.
Below
is my grandfather’s letter, and Charles Parry’s reply. I find these interesting for a bunch of
reasons – the attitudes toward world politics, the cultural literacy of people
of working class origins, the personal reflections , and the somber way in which both writers look at the past and the future.
I hope
you find these interesting as well. Let
me know if you have any comments.
North
Providence, Rhode Island
Sept
11 1939
My Dear
Charles/
Once
again a few words.
So the
powers that be have decreed another bloody war, which is another way of saying
that those that govern have again shown their inability to wisely govern. The 1914 war was a war to end wars, this is a
war for democracy. This time the boys
are out to smash hitlerism. In other
words they are out to make their own bastard of Versailles[1] behave himself or else.
No decent
or even respectable people could ever tolerate gangsters of the Hitler type;
but if society makes its own little criminals, and we have abundant testimony
that it does, then by the same reasoning it makes the larger ones also.
All that
Hitler has done is to follow the instructions of Shylock too well. Quote
The villainy you teach me I will execute
And it shall go hard but I better the
instructions.[2]
To me it
seems fair to assume that had the masters of Europe shown more common honesty,
real leadership and vision in handling the problems of the post war period, we
would not now have had imposed upon us the brigandry and utter stupidity of the
Hit’s and Musso’s.
And now
sons of fathers are marching again.
And for
what! Time alone will tell.
The book
you sent “In search of England” [3] is excellent. Like oasis in
a desert.
We here
are all holding our own fairly well except Mrs. P who unfortunately is having
her annual dose of hay fever which as you are undoubtedly aware is a hell of a
proposition.
By the
way Charles have they developed any remedy for this affliction in England?
We are
all hoping very sincerely that that this inhuman struggle will deal with you
and yours as kindly as earthly powers can contrive. In the meantime if we can help in any way “Ask and it shall be given unto you”.[4] We cannot be with you in the flesh, but we
are in spirit.
And
please let us have a few words from you at the earliest possible moment we are
all anxious to know how you are getting along.
Yours
AP
Colwyn Bay, North Wales
Jan 29th 1940
My dear Arnold,
I have a very valid excuse for not writing
a letter but none for not sending you a card at Christmas except I ordered to
be sent to you a M/C Guardian[5]
Calendar. They were out of stock. I hope to send you the Book of excerpts from
the press.published by the New Statesman[6]
“Called This England with cartoons by David Lowe[7]
rather amusing. All these publications
have to be sent from the office of the publisher, on a/c of Censorship (I
believe). We have been exceptionally busy this Christmas due to various causes.
+ my chief assistant has been away ill so that is my real excuse.
Well Arnold. I was more than glad to have your letter +
card. I note the date of the letter
Sept. 11th, it was good that we know we have good friends in U.S.A
who care for us personally. We are deep
in it and no one knows to what end. + where.
I feel in the “larger outlook” all these uprisings are just episodes in
the gigantic changes that are taking place in the whole world today in the long
view I have great hopes, but do not hope to see much even of the real
beginnings in my life time which as you must know has entered on the last
decade of the Biblical Formula[8]. You know what my outlook is + I am pretty sure of yours. Personally, the war has not made a
great difference to us as yet, but of course it has disorganized a lot of
peoples lives + one feels in the third state again.
Last June we went to stay with my daughter Joan. at
Haverfordwest in Pembroke, South Wales
We enjoyed it thoroughly. Her
husband is a district agent for the Royal. Insurance Co. + we got about a
bit. We went down by Car. We had just bought a new indecipherable
[a1] (Hillman) ten horse. quite a nice car runs well + quite big enough for us. We got to quite a lot of Interesting places,
Tenby, St Davids, Milford Avon, Fishguard, Swansea Aberystwith,
Carmarthen,. I enjoyed a night off to see farmers + horse
dealers re Insurance quite interesting: Joan’s “John” is two years old and
quite an interesting little fellow.
Pembroke is a lovely County.
Pembroke itself was quite interesting with its Castle. The farmers seemed prosperous but the
industrial part not. I expect by now it
will be better.
In October we went to stay with Freda at
Shrewsbury – Mr. Bevan (Cliff) is travelling about. to put “Esse” cookers right when wrong. This is a scientific Cooker. When once the fire is lit (anthracite) it
keeps all the ovens + hot plates hot: the same principle as a vacuum flask but
packed with asbestos wool to conserve the heat.
I went with him to Newport. The
suburbs of that place where the first Chartist riot[9]
took place a hundred years ago. Newport
was very busy. Thence to the Cotswold
country we stayed one night in a Cotswold village very charming + untouched by
the industrial changes.
Fredas “Rodger” is 3 ¼ years + quite a
lad. She has a little girl too 9 months
Valerie. so we are not likely to be
lonely in our old age. “The wife” + I
are very comfy in a flat, all
electric. We have a dandy help + plod
along I am here each day by 9.30 + leave at 6.30 to 7 o’c. Half day Wed. + Sunday duty 1 in 4. The business keeps us in a remarkable way +
is very interesting on the whole. One
gets fed up sometimes. I wish every one
could have as a good a time as we have in a quiet way. I think they could with a bit of clear
thinking + less greed.
Re the “hayfever” I don’t know of anything
new. New things come up but are soon
found to be more or less toothless. I
suggest, Sniffing, ½ teaspoonful of Borax, ½ teaspoon of Com(indecipherable)
Salt in a pint of warm water. Sniff as
much as poss up each nostril. Another
is.
(deleted some more comments on hay fever
treatment).
Mrs. Pritchard may find the foregoing
useful. Also there are Adrenaline
preparations these should be used with great care –
“Now. Arnold I think it was 1911 when we
had that farewell visit to the Gaiety Repertory Theatre, Miss Horniman’s[10]
venture. The play was G.B.S [11]“Widowers’
Houses.” How much water has flowed under
the Bridges since then. Shall we see
each other in the flesh again? How I
would like to see you all. + how remote
it seems now.
“I should be glad to know what business
“A.P. + Sons” are engaged in now. + how are you all faring. Again thanks for your kind words and also the
thought for us in this wicked world.
Mrs. Parry joins me in love + best wishes
to you all.
CP
[1] An expression of the common view that the rise of Hitler was due to
the harsh terms imposed on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles at the end of
the First World War.
[6] Left of Center weekly
magazine, founded in 1913 by the Fabian Socialists Sidney and Beatrice Webb.
[7] David Low (no “e” at
the end) (1891-1963), very well-known political cartoonist, a ferocious critic
of Hitler and other dictators, inventor of “Colonel Blimp”,.
[8] i.e., Charles Parry
was past sixty years old. The “Biblical
Formula” is based on Psalm 90:10, “The
days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength
they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is
soon cut off, and we fly away”. (King James Version).
[9] The Chartists were a
major reform movement in Britain in the 1830’s and 1840’s. In 1839 Newport was the scene of a pitched
battle between a Chartist crowd and British troops, in which about 22 members
of the crowd were killed.
[10] The Gaiety Theatre in Manchester, owned and managed by Annie
Horniman from 1908 to 1917, was a major force in the development of regional
theatre in England, with a major emphasis on reaching the working class. See http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/content/articles/2008/10/22/221008_annie_horniman_feature.shtml,
accessed April 27, 2020. .
[11] George Bernard Shaw,
(1856-1950) very well known dramatist and writer. “Widowers Houses” premiered
in 1892.
[a1]Might be “Mini”
