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Sprechen Sie Deutsch, Herr Bürgemeister ?

Baltimore was a good guess by the Third Reich propagandist who sent the message to a person of influence, not knowing that the title of 'Mayor' is closer to the choice of recipient, even though the current German immigrant population was about 30% in Baltimore. Some genius in the main post office has stamped the envelope with the reason for the delayed delivery and the handwritten notation to 'Try the Mayor's office' if all else fails. Actual cover size is 5 x 6 inch. Mailed from Neufahrwasser, in April of 1936.

The size and finish of the envelope rang a bell in our heads, causing us to wonder if there were some connection to the "Corridor Propaganda Letters" that were send to America and British lawyers, druggists, and other professionals whom Dr. Goebbels considered a possible ally in the 1930s 'cold war' over the Corridor. The same rhetoric (Something must be sone about Danzig and the Corridor) is spelled out in the form-letters, see DR-143. The content of the letter is the same, but this is the first one we have seen that had been addressed to a Mayor.

Which brings us to the last point - we had listed 'Direct Mail' as being Category No. 16 in our 2009 study of the various types of Nazi propaganda. That is exactly where this specimen belongs. Some girl who believes firmly in the Third Reich has been hard at work in forwarding such propaganda by the thousands. At the left is the original text as it was printed on a sheet of the original paper.

Danzig Report Nr. 149 - 2010, page 5.