Ralph Coward, 1930-33

HA.VI. Nachl. C.H.Becker Rep.92 Becker C. Nr. 129

414. Ralph Coward an C.H.B. Ashmore, 14.12.1930

Dear Dr. Becker,

Thank you very much for your kind letter and birthday-wishes.

I was very pleased to meet you and feel, if I may say so, that we have established a mutual regard for each other, and I hope that we shall be able, from time to time, to come in contact with each other.

I am glad you were able to have a talk with Mr. Balfour Gardiner, because hitherto you have had but one side of the story, and as you remarked to me on the Sunday morning, Rolf is difficult, I feel that he does not treat his uncle as he should.

I think we can do something here, it may not be all that that everybody hopes for, I know Rolf cannot fulfil his ideas by himself and whoever helps him he must be prepared to ‘pay’ for that held, not payment in money or things, but by cooperation in spirit and in truth.

May I take this opportunity of wishing you a very joyful Christmas and Gods (help? Unleserlich) in the new Year.

I am Sir yours sincerely Ralph.

415. C.H.B. an Ralph Coward, Gore Farm, Ashmore, England. Berlin, 4.7.1931

(Maschinenkopie)

Dear Ralph,

You will have heard by Rolf that I should be awfully pleased if you could allow my youngest son Hellmut joining your Arbeitslager in August-September. He is a very nice chap, perhaps a little bit intellectually overfed, but a decent tennis player and a good hearted and good -looking boy. He is just passing his first term as a student in Freiburg University. The aim of his journey to England is in the first time to learn English, his knowledge of English being very modest, up to date. Besides that I think it a splendid idea to bring this boy for a certain time under your personal influence. You know how much I appreciate your work and your personality. He will be free in the first days of August, and perhaps could it be possible that he would come a few days earlier to Gore to become acquainted with you and your life, before the members of the Arbeitslager will arrive. You are just the type of man under whose leadership I should be glad to know my son for a couple of weeks. He will learn very much from you, not only in agricultural questions, but especially in the human sphere.

Did you hear that I shall not come to England this summer, but that I am sailing to China in the beginning of September? But after my return, I hope to see you again. Meanwhile be god to my son as my substitute!

With kind regards and many thanks for your kind letter, Yours very sincerely (C.H.B.)

416. Ralph Coward an C.H.B. Ashmore, 14.7.1931

My dear Dr. Becker.

Thank you for your kind letter. I am very sorry that we shall not be seeing you this autumn. So we will try to be good to your son instead. The camp starts in the beginning of September but we shall be pleased to have Hellmut at the end of August if he likes to come.

There may be several other Germans here so he will not be too lonely.

We have started learning German but I’m afraid it will be a long time before I shall be able to write to you in German.

We charge 20/- (shillings?) per week for feeding and looking (unleserlich) after campers here, and as Hellmut is coming such a long way he need only bring his own personal equipment, we can fit him up with plates and things like that.

With our best wishes for a ‘bon voyage’ yours sincerely Ralph and Daphne Coward.

417. C.H.B. an Ralph Coward. Ashmore near Salisbury. Berlin, 29.4.1932

(Maschinenkopie)

My dear Ralph!

Today is your birthday. I think of that date in sincere friendship and I hope you and your wife are in best health. My son Hellmut shares me in wishing you a very happy year. I was so glad that he has met you and I thank you sincerely for all that you have done for him. He returned quite charmed by the life on Gore Farm and he was especially fond of the kindness of Mrs. Coward. Unfortunately I could not see you during the last year. My stay at Georg Goetsch’s wedding in Wallington was too short to come and see you in Gore Farm. But at Rolf’s wedding we shall certainly meet and I am looking forward to shaking hands with you because I never forgot the strong bond that arose between us from the first moment of our intercourse.

You know that I made a trip around the world. I stayed 3 months in China and visited afterwards Dutch- and British India, Persia, Iraq and Syria. I enjoyed this time immensely. It was interesting but also a strenuous trip and I was over 7 month away from home. I was so glad to meet Rolf after all in Wallington and heard by him, how well you re established now and matters between Rolf and you are settled now in an adequate way. I should be very pleased to hear something from you and how you judge your and Rolf’s common future, which of course up to date I only see through Rolf’s eyes.

With the best wishes and kindest regards to Mrs. Coward and yourself

Affectionately yours (C.H.B.)

418. Ralph Coward an Hellmut Becker. Ashmore, 15.2.1933

My dear Hellmut,

I am writing to say what a great shock it was to hear of the death of your father.

Although I met him only once, I felt that in a few hours we had established a genuine friendship which was to me a great pleasure and a great honour, I was very much looking forward of meeting him again sometime.

I do indeed join with his many, many friends in mourning his loss and in expressing to you and your family my deepest sympathy.

Yours very sincerely Ralph Coward.

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