(The following was sent to us by Tartu College archivist Dr. Endel Aruja, as a reminder of Christmas concerns of the past The signatories were all prominent well-known individuals of the day. Of those whose historical stars have faded dr. Aruja recalls that Atholl was a Duchess, Bonham Carter a Member of Parliament, Hampden Jackson was the author of “Estonia 1941”.

From a handwritten copy:
Time and Tide 18 December 1944
Letters to the Editor

Baltic DP's in Germany

Sir, At this time of Christmas and shopping may we beg that the needs of the D.P. in Germany may be remembered, more especially those from the Baltic States who, in spite of solemn treaties to respect their independence, have had their countries not merely dominated - as in the case of the other countries behind the Iron Curtain - but actually annexed by the Soviet Union. All normal means of communications with their countries Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are therefore closed to them.

Only fitfully does news seep through of wholesale deportations of their fellow citizens to the horrors of Soviet forced labour camps and of their replacement
by Russians - a deliberate attempt to exterminate three
small nations which, in 20 short years, had given convincing proof of their ability to make good use of their freedom they had won. And this at the very moment when the UN is denouncing this very ...(copy unreadable)

ON behalf of Estonian Relief Committee (signed)
Katharine Atholl
Violet Bonham Carter
Cicely Hamilton
J Hampden Jackson
Constance Malleson
Albert Murray
Bertrand Russell

(from a faded handwritten copy by EA)

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