Letters of War: A WW1 ISOT

Berlin, August 29, 1914

Dear Father,

Thank God that you are alive. Such treachery truly is beyond words. We have also received a telegram from The Hague about it, but that was much more vague about what actually happened. I was so worried. I brought up these horrible events in my audience with the emperor, and he went pale in shock at what had happened. I believed him when he said that he didn’t know anything about this and he demanded the immediate presence of the State Secretary of the Imperial German Navy.

He assured me that the German nation would do its utmost to help us find the perpetrators of this act, and he even said that if one of his captains had been idiotic enough to fire, he would gladly hand him and his officers over to us for justice. He however was shocked that we had also sunk one of his ships and even became angry with me. For a moment, I feared that he might strike me. I expressed my sympathy, and said that once it was cleared up who the responsible party was, we would pay reparations and make a formal apology to any innocent parties.

A little later, the naval secretary arrived. I hadn’t met the man before, but Grand Admiral von Tirpitz struck me as a stern old man with a rather impressive forked beard. There was a clear trust between him and the emperor, and he too was surprised by what I told him. The shock however wasn’t as clear, and I didn’t entirely understand him. He expressed his deepest sympathies, and asked about the ship that was sunk. I promised to send a list of survivors as quickly as possible, so their families can be informed.

The grand admiral was rather cold to me. I assume that it could be because of my sex or because he was angry about one of his ships being sunk, but I can’t shake the feeling that he knows more than he let on. We remained talking for quite a while, but I didn’t learn much from our conversation. I however did persuade the emperor to write a letter for the Dutch newspapers, to express his sorrow for what has happened. I hope that this can calm the public a little.

The next call, early in the next morning, was the English embassy. Fortunately, Uncle Sytze was feeling a little better, and he could take charge. Sir Edward was incensed to put it mildly. He said that it was shameful of us to attempt to deceive the world into believing that we had been attacked, only to have an excuse to start a war as though they were a bunch of natives with bones through their noses. We told him that war was far from our hearts as we are a Christian people, and as such, we abhor any breaking of the peace. But if we must, we will take up the sword in justice’s name, knowing that God will be on our side.

Uncle Sytze and the ambassador then withdrew for a personal conversation of which I unfortunately don’t know the details. All I know is that I heard raised voices. I wish that I could have done more, if only to urge their cooperation in the investigation. I however had the opportunity to speak to the naval attaché, who was similarly enraged with our in their eyes insulting behaviour. I told him that one shouldn’t insult our Republic and that we long for peace. I said that we only wanted their assistance in our investigation of what has happened.

When we left, Uncle Sytze was exhausted and I had to call a doctor to see him. Fortunately, he wasn’t too unwell, but the tension is proving hard on him. He instructed me to draft a letter to the German government to formally request their aid in the investigation, and another for the English one. Both were sent to The Hague by telegraph, and with only a few alterations, we were given permission to deliver them. Colonel van Speyk and me delivered the notes to both Sir Edward and to the Chancellor.

After a brief reading, the Chancellor told me that there were a few issues that would be hard to comply with, given their need for security of naval matters due to the ongoing war. We had a brief discussion about how we could go about this, and in the end, the decision was reached that we would be allowed to send an investigative team, which would be allowed to interview any necessary personnel, but would require the presence of one of their officers for the reading of any documents. The Hague has given permission for this course of action, which gives me hope for peace and for Hendrik’s safety.

Sir Edward only said that the letter would be sent to London, as was to be expected. He seemed angry with me, but calmer than when we met before. I hope that tempers have settled a little, and that they too will give their cooperation.

In addition to this horrible affair, it appears that there is terrible fighting between the Austrians and the Russians in Poland with tens of thousands of deaths and prisoners. I don’t know the details, but the Germans seem confident in their ally. I have heard rumours that the French have already lost a hundred thousand men in their campaigns in the west, while the Germans have also lost tens of thousands. In the east, it seems that the Germans have started a counterattack, but there is little hope as the numbers are far too low.

For the last few days, Karen has been here constantly. I have come to rely on her typing more and more now that there is so much to be written. She doesn’t speak Dutch, but fortunately, she does speak English, helping us greatly in all the less important letters. And it is a small comfort in this strange city to be able to rest next to someone, to speak to before sleeping. And perhaps even more importantly, she knows some of the best bakeries here, so every day, we have the most wonderful cakes!

To answer your questions about her, her mother owns a small store selling milk and fresh eggs here in the city. She is a widow, but still paid for her only child’s education. I find it truly inspiring that she, despite her difficult situation, could see the importance of an education for her child to give her better chances in life. At first, Karen would rather not speak about this, because she was ashamed, but she relented after I told her that someone’s labour is their true measure.

The woman was positively shocked when she saw us entering together! Especially because I had us driven there by automobile. She actually hadn’t seen Karen at all, she actually thought that I was some kind of nobility, even though such things are horribly dated. She asked me what I wanted, and when I said that I just wanted to meet my friend’s mother, her jaw dropped. It was hilarious. The woman however is very polite and more learned than one would expect from a simple shopkeeper!

But I shouldn’t bother you with such insignificant little things. What matters is that we are doing a lot of work to preserve the peace. I will write you again as soon as there are more, and until then, I remain.

Your faithful daughter,
Jakoba



Battlecruiser Geloof, September 1, 1914

Dearest Jakoba,

The newspapers are full of what has happened, and there has been a major demonstration in Antwerpen, demanding us to declare war on both the English and the Germans. The German emperor’s letter did soothe things a little, but there are plenty of voices accusing him of treachery.

As far as I know, the crewmen we have taken from the water haven’t said anything, but I’m not part of the investigation. Instead, I’ve remained at full stations, ready to set sail as soon as a single warship is detected near our coasts with full orders to sink them.

Orders have been given to start laying minefields, and only Dutch ships will be allowed into our ports for the time being. There have also been meetings to settle on different war strategies based on what we know. Whatever happens, the navy will do everything possible to ensure our victory.

Unfortunately, a lot of focus has shifted to the land borders, and the Estates General are working on a law to increase the size of the army, at the cost of the navy. Even our new battleships could be threatened by this nonsense, while they are absolutely vital for our security, especially at this time.

I am happy to hear that Geertje is fine, although these North Americans do worry me. According to what we know, they have a significant fleet while the fleet we keep there remains relatively weak. But fortunately, the Southern African provinces have started to send troops north, and the Canarian Fleet is readying as well. It also seems that a cable has been restored between the Canaries and the other provinces, and work is being done on further connections. We however remain unconnected and will probably stay in such a situation until the current difficulties are cleared up.

Your mother is well, although she is deeply worried about you in a strange land. She’s happy that you have struck up a friendship with this young woman, but is worried about her social class and especially about her unladylike occupation. I hope that you will help her find a good husband, to free her from that burden. It also delights her that your sister is well, and I hope that you will be able to tell us more soon.

Your loving father,
Johan Rots

Berlin, September 4, 1914

Dear Father,

I have received a new cable from Geertje. She says that there have been skirmishes in the Seagull Mountains, and that the navy is preparing an expedition to put the natives, who appear to be Spanish, into their place. Her husband fortunately won’t accompany that, as he has been sent to the Windward Islands to secure them against the Northerners. But in much happier news, she wrote that Sjoerdsje has said her first word! Although it wasn’t entirely clear what it was, she is in disagreement about it with her nurse. I wish that I could visit her together with Mother, but as long as things are like this, I fear that that won’t be possible.

Naturally, I am doing my utmost to help Karen find faith in her heart and to help her embrace it. But for such things, it would truly be better to have a minister here. My womanly mind simply isn’t fit for such complexities. She has asked me to accompany her to her church, but without someone to help me understand such matters, I decided to decline.

Since I last wrote you, the invading Russian army has been dealt an enormous defeat. All the papers are full of it and the Germans speak of little else. There are more than a hundred thousand prisoners, if I can believe them. The Russians however appear to have many more, so people think that the war will last longer still. At the same time, the Austrians have suffered defeat in Galicia, but I was told that it was on a much smaller scale while the fighting between the Germans and French continues apace.

An investigative delegation has arrived from our beloved fatherland, but they will operate independently from our embassy and have headed to the major naval bases. I know little about what they are doing now, but I hope that the truth will come out. The English remain obstinate. Sir Edward told Uncle Sytze that some parts of the note could be seen as an insult to British honour, and that they will complete their own investigation. He even said that allowing a foreign power to investigate the Royal Navy and His Majesty’s Government would go far beyond what any nation, let alone one as prominent as their own, could possibly accept.

Later, I was able to mollify him somewhat on some points by expressing my deep sorrow about the loss of life, and of course, I mentioned our intention to make a formal apology to whoever is found to be innocent and that we would pay reparations. He seemed to be more understanding of our difficult situation after our conversation.

Yesterday evening, we attended a small gathering at the Romanian embassy they would be wise to try to remain neutral. Anyways, it was a celebration in honour of the birthday of the ambassador’s wife, a truly friendly lady. This however led to an awkward situation when Uncle Sytze and me found ourself in the presence of the Japanese Chargé d’affaires. I understand that it is a kind of politeness to also invite them, but honestly, I would not want such barbarians at any kind of celebration.

Naturally, we did our utmost to avoid them, and they did the same. I know that it’s a little shameful, but when I went to the bathroom, I found myself alone with the charge d’affaires’ wife, and I fear that some sort of conversation couldn’t be avoided. You know me, I always try to be friendly. I must say, the lady was rather shy, although we did introduce ourselves. I however must confess that I completely forgot her name. What is relevant however is that they are a much prouder people than I had expected, and over the past decades have done significant work to attempt to improve themselves, following the example of whites of course. No yellow could ever be truly inventive.

There has even been a war between them and the Russians, who are considered to be a major European power. And it appears that the Japanese won a major naval victory against them. Naturally, I didn’t mention Karel’s passing, but she told me some things that helped me understand what has happened. The Japanese are quite capable militarily, and I believe that in order to protect our holdings there, significant force will have to be deployed. Colonel van Speyk has also written about it, although he of course says that information was gained from sources near the Japanese embassy.

I hope that this letter finds you well and at peace.

Your faithful daughter,
Jakoba



Battlecruiser Geloof, September 7, 1914

Dearest Jakoba,

It is one of my dearest wishes to see Sjoerdsje, to be able to hold another granddaughter in my arms. Your mother agrees, and would very much like to visit her along with you. Perhaps, when the current situation is resolved, you can make arrangements for such a journey. And don’t be discouraged by your mother’s demeanor, she has travelled half the world on her own.

It’s downright shameful that a minister and further staff for the embassy haven’t been sent yet. I would have expected that more would have been dispatched already. As soon as I’m able, I will ask some old friends about what’s happening.

There have been many confrontations at sea over the last few days, but not to the extent of actual shooting. I’ve been told that all survivors deny having launched a torpedo, which greatly complicated the investigation. It’s a shame that it’s no longer allowed to put further pressure on them. But then again, the true guilty parties will be those placed far above them. But at least some sort of investigation is beginning abroad.

One thing that’s striking me as dangerous is that both ships were beyond the range of our torpedoes when the explosion took place. I’m worried that their weapons may be more potent than we assume, which is something we will have to take in mind. If at all possible, could you perhaps ask some questions about their weaponry?

And please, my child, be careful with a yellow like that. I would take it up with the Romanians; it simply won’t do to have to share any kind of facility with those barbarians. No matter how well they can try to imitate us, they remain beneath your dignity. And to have spoken to one! I urge you, please, don’t debase yourself like that. Any such information can also be gained from other sources.

Your mother also wanted me to write you concerning this Karen. She approves of you building up a friendship, but says that you would be better off associating with women of a higher social class. You don’t want to devalue yourself in the eyes of potential husbands. She also wants me to warn you about those cakes, although I can’t bring myself to disagree with enjoying them.

There is one more matter that I want to bring up. There is a fine young man under my command, commander Albert van Gent. You have met before, and he greatly admired you. But as you were engaged at that time, he respectfully kept his distance. I know that it might be a bit soon, given your recent loss, but it seems that your mother already spoke to him and now he has asked me for my permission to write you. Naturally, I said that I would think on it, and want to ask you if you would want to correspond with this man.

I can vouch for his good manners and background. He has a splendid career ahead of him and if your mother is to be believed, he is handsome too. Although she claims that such things aren’t relevant. He is a good Christian and I believe that you will do well to get to know him better.

Your loving father,
Johan Rots