1 Limburg a/ Lahn
Germany 8. Dec. '15 R in Zossen
9 Dec/15 My Dear Sir Roger Your very kind note to hand, for which
I am extremely grateful. A word to our
friend Mr. Meyer, may relieve me of the
necessity of accepting your generous offer.
My appeal for funds was made to be
able to meet the account which is due to
the Missionhaus Fathers with whom I
lodge. I asked or at least reminded Mr. Meyer
of this in my letter to him now more than
one month ago. I shall beg you to do me
the favour of reminding him : he may have
forgotten all about my letter owing to the vast
amount of business he has in hands. I need hardly say I appreciate highly your
suggestion to let you know my present needs, but
I shall not encroach on your generosity while
there is a hope of having a favourable reply from
the Auswaertiges Amt. I propose to await a line from you, to say 2 if you have mentioned this matter to Mr. Meyer.
In case of receiving an assurance of being heard
I shall await patiently. If on the other hand I get
an unfavourable reply I shall write to the Ambassador
to the Holy See at Lugano, through the Cardinal
Nuntius of Munich, and explain the necessity of
having funds to pay for lodging and travelling.
Since the Prisoners were taken to the farms I
have travelled much to visit them, and had
always to stay with them a part of two days. I
did ask for a free pass on the Railways just as
other Pastors have, but I was not given that. I
left my house in Rome without any money and
I mean to return there in the same financial
state. I merely desire that my expenses be
paid, and I am sure my Superiors in Rome shall
willingly suffer the loss my absence from
there means to them. To put that at the lowest
figure it would amount in a year to over 1000
Lire. Rumour has it that a move is being made
in England to appeal to the Prussian Government
for the bringing together of the Irish Prisoners
of War. I hope it is not true, and; that such a
report is the outcome of the imagination of some
of those thinking people in the Camp here. The
Nuntius agreed with me that my wish to have
all the Irish brought together again, or at least
to have permission to visit all the Camps where
there are any Irishmen was quite just, and
from political and diplomatical motives the
best thing to be done. I explained how favourably impressed
were the people at home when the notice appeared
in the Press that Priests were sent to look after
the Irishmen, and that all Irish Prisoners were
to be concentrated in one Camp to have the
aid of their ministration. I have a letter
from an Irish Bishop who expresses him-
self much pleased at what was done. His
words are - "We in Ireland owe much to the
Holy Father and to the Kaiser for what they
have done for our countrymen". Is it not then
a pity that anything should happen to inter-
-fere with such an impression, as to lessen in any
degree the sense of obligation which the people
in Ireland feel for what has been done? In the event of the refusal of funds during my
stay, I shall write to my relatives in Ireland
who are blessed with much of this world's goods,and
will ask them to pay for my stay as Spiritual
Guide of my dear countrymen. This of course would
be the last resource, & one which I should not pur-
sue unless driven to extremities, for I fear though
my relatives should keep the secret, yet somehow
or other such things leak out, and that would not do. 3 I regret to hear that you feel so much depressed
at times. There are good times coming, and let us
look forward to them with confidence. With you
I pray that an end may soon come to the awful
carnage that is destructing Europe. Kind regards to all the boys. I am glad to
learn of their welfare. I wish you and them
all the blessings and joys of Xmas Yours v. sincerely J.T Crotty O.P. P.S.
I should say I have received the
Papers which you Kindly sent, and
handed them over for the boys. Thanks.
J.T.C.O.P.