1909*

The Brett family were much relieved some days after the attack on Pearl Harbor to have a cable from Chester Jr., who was on the Cruiser Honolulu, that he had safely come through the attack. He was unable, of course, to give any details other than that he was well.

The Carroll family also started off the new year right by having Bob appear unexpectedly on New Year's Day. They had not heard from him for a long time and found on his return that he had been on submarine service. He is now stationed at New London for additional training.

Russell Cowles, who is a painter of distinction, recently wrote an article for Contributions on his career as a painter and also referred to his '09 experience.

Harold Hall is now connected with H. C. Wainwright & Cos., 14 Wall Street and is living at 66 Perry Street, New York City. Ralph Clement has a new address, Broadview Farms, R.R. 4, Lebanon, Ohio.

Herb Walker also has a new farm address which is c/o Fieldstone Farm, Langhorne, Pa.

We are in receipt of an announcement of the marriage of Merrill Follansbee's son, Donald, to Maurine Gibson of Dallas, Texas.

Del Bradley whom we have lost sight of for many years has finally been located at 10 Proctor Street, Gloucester, Mass., where he is Assistant Superintendent of the Water Works.

Nate Howland, who as you know spent a great many years in Germany and has been doing considerable public speaking on the German situation, wrote me the following letter which I think is of sufficient interest to the group to give you in full:

"In conversations, in radio debates, in the daily output of many columnists we learn that Hitler will have 'the world by the tail' if England is not victorious. The military undertakings of Hitler have been so successful that many assume that he will be equally successful in imposing his present system of economics on the rest of the world.

"Do we not underestimate the tremendous difficulty of revamping the economy of Europe from a war to a peace basis? Do we not forget that the end of the war will find the whole of Europe in a bankrupt condition,—stripped of its resources of capital and material, and with its economy completely disrupted? Do we not overlook the fact that the peoples of Europe have been antagonistic to each other for generations and that today they have naturally developed a hatred for the Nazi which will make any efficient coordination of effort most difficult if not impossible?

"Why should we assume that this group of nationalities, hating each other and above all the Nazi domination, their resources exhausted, their economy dislocated by war, blockade and occupation, should be anything like the equal of the United States? Supposing it came to cutthroat competition in the South American market. Which group would be able to last the longer? Is there any doubt?

"Now let's look at it from another angle. No one will deny that the' Germans can do a swell job along almost any line if they are working with their own people and if they have sufficient time. But it is quite a different matter if they have to work with other peoples—in some cases less efficient, less hard working, less willing to cooperate and in all cases extremely hostile. Here is where the German organizing ability will fall down—in their attempt to incorporate the productive facilities of Europe into their industrial machine.

"How long is the Nazi regime going to be able to maintain the tension which has made the regimentation of the German people possible? We must not forget that from the day that Hitler took over in 1938~'the German people have been on a war basis. For eight years family life has been a farce. Men, women and children have been "Occupied" constantly in most cases with duties which were far from congenial. Their every move has been watched and recorded. Every block in every city has its government agent, controlling the lives of the people in that block.

"The man in the factory has been driven to utmost capacity for years. The strain has become terrific. He is no longer anything like as efficient as he was when the war started. This let-down will continue. The Russian campaign must have robbed the Nazi party of much of its cock-suredness; partly because the Germans looked down on the Russian peasants as an inferior race—no match for the intelligent, carefully trained and splendidly equipped German. I do not expect the morale to crack, but I do think that the Hitler machine is much less efficient than it was two years ago.

"Here is still another angle. Where is this regime going to find the men of executive ability to regiment and direct the personal and business and political lives of hundreds of millions of unfriendly people according to the doctrines of the Nazi philosophy. There are no more available in Germany than there would be in any other country. Countless incapable and inexperienced men, given undue power, must disrupt any organization through costly errors, particularly if they are endeavoring to handle people unlike themselves and naturally antagonistic.

"I have the greatest respect for the ability of the German High Command and know that the years of preparation gave the Nazi a tremendous edge on any opponent at the outbreak of the war. But I am just as certain that the Nazi will not be able to organize Europe either politically or economically to a degree where they become a menace to the national life of this country."

Curtiss Hilliard, as you know, is professor of biology and public health at Simmons College and is now also director of the Committee on Health of the Massachusetts Department of Public Safety. He has taken on this work in addition to that of supervisor of health for Wellesley and Weston.

Bob Burns is also serving on the Massachusetts Department of Public Safety and most of you have probably heard him over the radio, which is his specialty, in connection with the Committee's work.

Secretary, William Filene's Sons Cos., Boston, Mass.