| Description | Includes:
Correspondence, 1920-1921:
/1 Letter from M. Sheepshanks, Fight the Famine Council, to unidentified correspondent: One page of typescript letter written to enclose copies of papers received from the Friends' Emergency War Victims Committee [not now present], noting that the matter of the coal situation in Germany should be brought to the Government's attention. 14 January 1920.
/2 Letter from the Save the Children Fund to the Secretary of the Labour Party: Four pages of an unsigned typescript letter [from Dorothy Buxton] to the Secretary of the Labour Party, with many notes and amendments made, including the paragraph headings 'The real menace to civilization'; 'Capital designs on the distressed countries'; 'The nemesis of ignorance'; 'Who will reap the odium?' The letter refers to the writer's recently written report for Save the Children Fund about food conditions in Germany, praises the organisation for its work to fight against widespread ignorance and denial and inviting the intervention of the Labour Party. 11 July 1920.
/3 Letters from [Emily] Hobhouse to Dorothy Buxton: Two manuscript letters as follows:
/3a Letter from E. Hobhouse, The German Hospital, Dalson, to Mrs Buxton, enclosing a financial statement [not present], giving details on malnutrition and food shortages in Germany, 29 August 1920.
/3b Letter from E. H., mentioning her hopes of fundraising, Dorothy Buxton's intended visit to Germany and the need to get funds there promptly, and her impending move to Bude for recuperation, 7 September 1920.
/4 Letter from Edward Fuller to Dorothy Buxton: Letter from Edward Fuller, Press Secretary of the Save the Children Fund, enclosing a two page typescript copy of an article from the Times headed 'Betting, Champagne, and Starving Children. Germany appeals for Charity'. The article argues that the German population is eager to accept international aid rather than helping their own people. Fuller asks for Buxton's help to give a response to this article in the press, 1 December 1920.
/5 Unsigned letter to Frau Muller-Oestreich: Carbon copy of a letter to Frau Muller-Oestreich from an unidentified correspondent [probably Dorothy Buxton], relating to the writer's visit to Germany to study living conditions; with manuscript addition at the end of paragraph, 5 April 1921.
Papers and reports, 1919-1920:
/1 'Neutral Doctors' Report': Two page report entitled 'Neutral Doctors' Report' possibly copied from a German newspaper (Deutsche Tageszeitung), referring to a report by representatives of the faculties of medicine in neutral universities, Professors Bergmann (Upsala), Brandt (Christiania), Gadelius (Stockholm), Johansson (Stockholm), and Tendeloc (Leyden). It includes copy of telegram sent by representatives to President Wilson relating to food shortages and tuberculosis in Germany. 11 April 1919.
/2 Report 'Coal situation in Germany' with translation of letter from Otto Hue to Joan Mary Fry: Two-page report headed 'Coal situation in Germany' about the danger of Germany's economic collapse due to the coal shortages in Germany and reasons for that. Attached is a letter from Otto Hue, President of the Miner's Association in the Rhur District, to Joan Mary Fry, attesting to the worsening situation due to coal shortages in Germany, 23 December 1919.
/3 Minute of General Committee relating to the coal situation in Germany: Carbon copy of a minute of General Committee [signed] by Harrison Barrow [of the General Committee of the Society of Friends War Victims' Relief Committee] held 31 December 1919, headed 'Coal situation in Germany', referring to reports received from Joan M Fry in Berlin about the industrial paralysis and economic and social collapse of Germany due to coal shortages and suggesting the establishment of an International Coal Commission to replace the Commission of the Allies.
/4 Report on conditions of child life in Germany by D. F. Buxton: 16-page draft report with notes and amendments written by Dorothy Buxton, June 1920. Facts for the report are taken from official German statistical publications, reports of the German Red Cross and German doctors, reports of British official investigators and British and American relief workers. The report focuses on conditions of malnutrition, high food prices, and poor health with increasing numbers of cases of tuberculosis and draws comparisons between conditions in German and Austrian towns.
/5 Report 'The Decimation of German Children': Seven page report 'The Decimation of German Children' [1920] detailing the conditions of malnutrition in Germany which were recognised by Lloyd George in the House of Commons Spa agreement. Paragraph headings include 'cost of living', 'bad quality of rations', 'inadequacy of wages and salaries', 'effects on child life', 'spread of tuberculosis' and 'milk shortage'.
/6 'The Truth': Paper of three pages entitled 'The Truth', relating to the coal shortages and the plight of starving children in Germany. Quotations included from Mr Hoover (High Food Commissioner for Europe), The Archbishop of Canterbury, Sir William Goode (Head of British Relief Missions and member of Supreme Economic Council) and the Pope, undated, post 1919.
/7 'Report on Germany for the International Children's Relief Committee': Carbon copy of 11 pages of a report on Germany for the International Children's Relief Committee written by the Hon Secretary of the Vereinigung fur Kinderhilfe [Children's Aid Society in Germany], Adele Schreiber. The report includes statistics on the health conditions in different towns in Germany, infant mortality rates and help given between 1916 and 1919 by various organisations, undated post 1919.
/8 Extracts from White Paper of British Officers' Reports: Three typescript pages entitled 'Extracts from White Paper of British Officers' Reports' by Mr Robertson, with an account by Major Knyvett, Captain C. W. Bell and Captain H. M. Henwood of their four weeks in Silesia and a report by Major Bertie on Pomerania and Prussia. The extracts relate to the shortage of food and clothing in Germany; highlighted paragraph: 'The sight of children (at the local infant's home) from three weeks to three years sucking spinach soup from a bottle, instead of milk, was very upsetting'. Undated, [1919].
/9 Notes on the calorific value of the ration: Small page with note on one side regarding the amount of calories for children recommended at the Spa Conference [1920] in relation to the calories found in rations. Undated.
/10 'Children in Distress' by A. Stegerwald, Prussian Minister for Public Welfare: [1919-1921]: 20 typescript pages of a report in relation to Germany's children. The report refers to food shortages, death rate and consequences on the health and development of children. There is an appeal to support the collection of money; it praises charitable efforts from abroad. Undated. |
| Administrative History | [Feeding programmes were run by Emily Hobhouse in Leipzig, the first German city to start feeding school children (Source: 'The Woman who Saved the Children', Claire Mulley, p. 286)] |