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Live Oak, Florida, Nov. 12th., 1918
Dear Frank:-
I wanted to write to you and Herbert yesterday-on the very
day of Victory (the day which, as Ralp has remarked would be the great
day for the whole world of the future); but somehow the heart was too
full. The fear of death that I have carried there for you boys for all
these months was somewhat relieved; though I shall not draw a long breath
of entire relief until I can get a message from you. The War Department
has been so far behind with its advices that it has taken away much of
the comfort in the addage the "no news if good news." It seems almost
too good to be true that this horror is over for the world. The celebrations
in this country have been like a tornado; but I know that over there in
Paris and London it has been something beyond de- scription. The terms
of armistice are highly satisfactory to everyone here; because no one
can think of anything any more drastic to suggest. My, but how good they
are! And how they have repudicated the maudling sentimentality that the
President was hatching up. The country has settled with him good and hard;
and the Democratic party is as dead to- day as the militarists in Germany.
The papers forecast red revolution in Germany; though long before this
reaches you the extent of it will be known. I have a memorandum made some
weeks ago anent [sic] the different race types in Germany; and I am going
to send it to you in bearing upon the "boche". It shows a distinction
that the President has not apparent- ly grasped as the peoples over there
have. The revolution in Germany should run its course far enough to demonstrate
that his theories of certain things are erroneous enough to prove a lesson
for this country.
[p. 2]
It is all too long to go into now; but the extent of repudiation of his
note writing can be understood from the fact that the people of the South
are the most outspoken against his effort to demand that every skunk in
Germany should have a voice in affairs while in this country there should
be unquestioned subservience to one-man power. Starting out with the position
that the internal affairs of Germany should be assured for democracy he
has switched to the extent of now declaring that this country and out
Allies will not undertake to lead Germany into establishment of her government:
in short he has taken the recent election evidently to mean that this
country is a little oversized for his activities without extending them
to the world at large. I recall your former opinion and mine; and I only
will say that I have so far ourdistanced your view that you could not
now be even in my dust. As the play "Excuse Me" had it,- I could be jailed
for my thoughts. But seriously, the idea that people would be throttled
by the espionage law was one of the saddest delusions that this administration
has had. Thank God, the American people are not built to bow before autocracy
or oligarchy. I have not written you as fully as I would along these lines
because you were in service; and I know that you are frank in expression
as well as in name; and I didn't want to suggest anything that might be
a detriment to you. However, I know that the officers must have taken
considerable interest in what has been transpiring in this country.
Well, the war is over, the influenza has subsided to the
vanishing point and now we are looking and longing for the return of the
two dearest boys on earth. Now my plans for the future can shape themselves
without the ever-present if.
I am going back down to Okahumpka to see your Aunt Vannie
and have a preliminary examination of her affairs; and then I am going
on to
[p. 3]
Richmond to arrange with Herbert Jackson to take up all the rail. We are
actively preparing for it now; and should be on the way with it in two
or three weeks. We have had two deals practically closed, but a quibble
has delayed them. We are now going to take it up and stack it so that
it can be immediately delivered whenever a deal is consumated.
Then I have plans that I will take up with you boys, and
which I am sure will meet with you approval; for they will put us all
where we can be independent of dictation always; and in that position
we can do many things that will make life more pleasurable than it has
sometimes been for us.
Some of the expressions over the armistice have been amusing,
but none more so than the break that Pete Burnett made this morning. In
discuss- ing with Jim Dowling and Lyle the fate of the Kaiser he said
that as far as he was concerned he very particularly wanted them to get
that "damned old dutch scoundrel, old Bolshevik and hang him". He was
so very enthusiastic over the proposition that he would not hear to cor-
rection by Jim and repeated what he had himself to say.
I will write again as soon as I get back from Okahumpka;
and by that time we certainly should hear from you. I could not get an
E.F.M. cable through and the wires are so crowded that nothing could be
done with a straight message.
All of us are well and join in the love of our hearts to
you. God bless you, the dearest of our dear boys. Good bye
Your affectionate father,
Frank Drew
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