"Hounding of Mashona, evil keeps begetting itself, mills of God" Read the full letter
Collection Summary | View All |  Arrange By:
< Prev |
Viewing Item
of 1895 | Next >
Letter ReferenceOlive Schreiner BC16/Box5/Fold3/1914/67
ArchiveUniversity of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter Date24 September 1914
Address From30 St Mary Abbotts Terrace, Kensington, London
Address To
Who ToWilliam Philip ('Will') Schreiner
Other Versions
PermissionsPlease read before using or citing this transcription
Legend
The Project is grateful to Manuscripts and Archives, University of Cape Town, for kindly allowing us to transcribe this Olive Schreiner letter, which is part of its Manuscripts and Archives Collections. The date has been written on this letter in an unknown hand. Schreiner was resident in St Mary Abbotts Terrace for some weeks during August and September 1914.
1Dear Laddie,
2
3I send you the Citizen with the news about Dr Liebknecht which may not
4be true but I believe is.
5
6I spend all yesterday looking for quarters, went an hour & a half
7journey into the country to look at a flat a woman said she had to let
8for only 10/- a week. When I got there I found she had hurt her leg, &
9said she was therefore not going to Belgium as nurse – this wasting
10my whole afternoon Please let me know before hand if possible if you
11are coming to town any time
12
13One paper gives it as certain that the Cape is going to attack German
14West Africa. Will these blood seekers never cease setting humans
15against humans. I can’t write more dear.
16
17Olive
18
Notation
A report about the deaths of both Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg appeared in the Citizen, as follows:

"FAMOUS SOCIALIST LEADER REPORTED SHOT

Dr Liebknecht, the leader of the German Socialists, is reported to have been shot in Berlin... The news confirms the rumours which have been current in London for some days.... Dr Liebknecht was an officer in the German Reserves and was called up for service. He refused on conscientious grounds to obey the call... It is also stated that Rosa Luxemburg, the famous Socialist writer, has also been shot..." Daily Citizen Friday 14 August page 1

"'Revolution in Germany' It is reported that, incensed by the execution of their leader, Dr. Liebknecht, Socialists are rising in revolt throughout Germany.", also claiming that he had been executed because as a reserve officer in the army he had refused to fight Daily Citizen Monday 17 August 1914, p.1.

In fact this was a rumour, although both Liebknecht and Luxemburg were eventually executed in January 1919.