Cooper, Ethel – March 1917
4.3.17
My dear Emmie,
I have had Sandor here for three days then he had to go on to Budapest for two concerts. He bought me ½ lb of bacon, ½ lb of butter, a loaf of bread – beautiful white Danish bread, two cakes of soap (simply priceless), and a piece of cheese…
One does not dare to enter a tram-car since a story that I heard a few weeks ago. They are no longer safe, as they have lice! The soldiers have all to be fumigated when they come from the field, but evidently some have escaped it, and that, and the scarcity of soap, and the woollen covers that have to be put on the backs and seats of the trams, have combined to produce the present condition…
11.3.17
My dear Emmie,
… Today I had our Allies Tea, and as we were all gossiping and eating scones and thinking neither good nor evil, the evening paper came, and we found that our troops under General [Sir Stanley] Maude are in Bagdad! We were so elated…
I have had no letter from you for many weeks, and no news of Jeannie since the American break with Germany – I am anxious to hear how she is – I do hope that all goes well with her this time…
18.3.17
My dear Emmie,
Events are coming thick and fast, and I have a feeling that my soul is getting a little out of breath. The Russian Revolution, the abdication of the unfortunate little Czar, the negative German official army reports, which (added to the fact that we have had no English or French reports for two days) seem to indicate that there is good news for us…
There is no attempt to disguise the fact that all hopes of a separate peace with Russia have gone to the winds, and that, combined with the fall of Baghdad, is making life difficult for the leader-writers…
I see in the ‘Times’ that they are again trying to arrange a general exchange of civil prisoners, and if that is carried out, I shall at once put in another application to leave too, but they are not likely to let anyone out during the next month or two…
25.3.17
My dear Emmie,
We have a small-pox epidemic here. Frau von Bose says her doctor tells her there were 40 cases in his neighbourhood – but it was not to be talked about so as not to alarm people, and because there is not enough available vaccine! We heard that at tea there yesterday, upon which Frau Jaeger and I left in haste and went and were vaccinated at once. I never catch anything, but with a small-pox epidemic I take no risks. It is only a wonder it has not come before, but now with the people so under-fed and dirty, Germany might easily be a happy hunting ground for any epidemic…
