[Some paragraph breaks added for ease of reading.]
Bessie B. Nesbit
Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, Mass.Sun. Jan 21, 1940
Dear Mama & Papa,
Greetings! Thanks for your wonderful letter & the special this morning. Please forgive me for not writing before this. So many things have happened & I'm quite worn out. Thanks also for the handkerchief. The perfume came O.K. and I sent the other one straight to Abram & S. The postage was 8 cents.
On Wed. afternoon I had my last Physics Lab. of the year. Am I glad I don't have any more. Thurs. I spent in finishing up my French paper which took me a long time because I had to condense it to three hundred words.
Thurs. night I saw the uncensored pictures of the siege of Warsaw. They were very interesting and quite awful. The man's name is Julian Bryan and he was the only foreign correspondent in Warsaw during the last. Some of the pictures were quite gruesome and some of the pacifists didn't like to look and turned their heads away. They also looked quite amazed when he said that Poland was bombed by planes fueled by American gas. He said that many times the German aviators didn't seem satisfied with just bombing but came down and machine gunned the people. He said he hadn't believed this himself till he had seen it. He said that indiscriminate bombing was the order of the day. He showed pictures of the Jewish sector in flames bombed on the Jewish New Year, the one day when Jews are [not] supposed to do anything. He showed us a picture of a woman machine gunned while digging potatoes in a field. He said that he had talked with many German prisoners and they showed an amazing ignorance of world affairs not even knowing that Eng & Fr had some in against the Germans. He said that the mayor of Warsaw & he had listened to Hitler's speech to the German people telling them that they were just punishing the evil Poles for the things they had done to the innocent Germans. The mayor said he didn't see how sensible people could believe statements like that.
Friday morning I finished my Fr. paper and got my Chem. blue book back which I got D-. I had a conference with Miss Stevenson, the Chem teacher, on Sat & she said that she knew that I knew the material & was sure I would do well on the Exam. I'm hoping & praying that I will.
Thurs afternoon I went to a lecture & movies by the same man on Nazi Germany. He showed pictures illustrating the education & training by Hitler methods. Theachings [sic] that say things like this. "Judas was a Jew who killed Jesus, the German." He said there are no roads any where in the world which can compare with the new German roads. He said that everything in Germany is being used to further her military might while the farmers sow, plow & reap with old tools. He said that since 1933 in Germany, wages have gone up 10% and prices have increased to 30%. He said that people will talk against Hitler when by themselves but not when in groups.
He said he thought that within the next 60 days Germany would intensify her war in the West. He showed pictures of Fairs & Carnivals in Germany against the Jews & Russians. The pictures, 2 years old, are very funny in the light of recent events. Friday night he showed us pictures of Finland before the war. Finland seemed much more modern than Poland. He said that there are no very poor or very rich people in Finland and that they have a very high literacy. percentage. There were many more new buildings in Helsinghi [sic] that [sic] in Warsaw. He said that Finland is probably the hardest country in the world to make a war in. There are very few roads and practically all the roads there are are [sic] interlaced by lakes which are either crossed by ferries or on ice.
He said that as soon as war really starts in Europe, we will be drawn in. He said that he didn't think our country was in very great danger from spies; but added that it is a good idea to keep one's eyes open. He said that numerous time's [sic] parts of his equipment had been taken while he was lecturing in this country in order to prevent him from speaking. He said that much of the trouble in this country and all of the trouble he had had was due to Father Coughlin & the Christian Front. He was very gloomy as to what he thought the European situation was leading to. The series of lectures were very interesting & I am so glad I went. By the way, I didn't hear from Howard so he probably couldn't make it. Yesterday afternoon I watched the Ice Carnival and later on took two Freshmen to the Soph Fresh tea.
My eyes seem to be bothering me a lot to day. I washed my hair and clothes yesterday. Sally had another date with the boy from Mass State she met at the Barn Dance. For some reason or other, she didn't seem to have had a good time.
Do you suppose there is anyone I could invite to the Soph Hop instead of Howard? There is going to be a Rocky House Dance (tea dance) the afternoon of that day. Could you spare me a couple of dollars till I get my N.Y.A. check because I have exams this week & would like to get a few extra things.
I have Physics on Thurs; Chem Fri and Rel. on Sat. French comes on the next Wed & Eng Lit on the next Fri.
I love my new perfume. It smells so nice. Thank you ever so much for it & the powder.
Dr. Adams preached a very good sermon in Church this morning. By the way he hitches his scripture reading up with his test the way papa does. He preached on Noah & man (7) and Elisha. He said that Christians today are becoming more aware of the fact that although God has plans for the world, it takes men to work them out. He said too many people want to sit back and let God do the work. I think this would be a good reply to Miss Hussy in her belief that one shouldn't interfer[e] in Europe because everything will come out all right in the end.
Some jokes from M.H.C. Humor.
Ques. What is a mirage?
Ans. Where the little man who isn't there keeps his car.
Ques. What is a drizzle?
Ans. A drip that's going steady.
Purchased hat to one remaining on shelf[:] I'll go on a head first you'll go later.Do you think I should send Mrs. Mowrey a card?
Am enclosing some pretty good jokes. Please take care of yourselves. I have to do my religion paper for tomorrow.
Lotions of love,
BessieP.S.
Could do with some eats this coming week.
B. N.P.S
Could use some more stamps also.
B. N.Got Miss South's card. She wanted to be rembered [sic] to you two.