Cooper, Ethel – January 1918
6.1.18
My dear Emmie,
The first letter in the New Year – the ‘Year of Peace’, say all the cards that came to me this time – Who knows? I was called to the police yesterday morning, and they wanted to know if I wished to come back to Germany again during the war if they gave me my pass on the grounds of ill-health. I said that I considered a permission to return so impossible that I had not thought of mentioning it, and would be quite content if I had permission to leave for any neutral country. ‘That simplifies the matter!’ was the comment…
13.1.18
My dear Emmie,
A great agitation and scream is going through the whole press during the last week. Hindenburg and Ludendorff are said to be threatening to resign as a result of the tendency in the Pour-parlers in Brest-Litovsk. In the meantime, the trains for passengers have been almost taken off, and the soldiers hurried from the East to the West – I hear on every hand that at least 1 ½ million men have been moved to be ready for an offensive in February.
I have had no letter from you for a very long time – the last was written on Sept. 6th, and here is the middle of January, but I have had no letter from Australia at all since that mail.
20.1.18
My dear Emmie,
Two days ago I was told that my last application for a pass had been refused – now there only remains the more than doubtful chance of exchange – I confess I have no real hope of that – there are so many interned prisoners – civil ones, I mean, who come first.
27.1.18
My dear Emmie,
I had a few lines from Nora, written in November. She had been spending the evening before she wrote with you, and wrote so affectionately and with her usual great admiration of you. But she told me nothing at all about Howard, except to mention the bare fact that you had heard of his death. You must have written to me, and the letter must have been kept back because there was more in it than other people have written, or I may even get it yet – still I hardly expect it any more after so long.
I have to go to a small party this evening and play, and as Telemaque is there, I must play decently, so I will stop and not bustle.
