From: Balmas, Bessarabia
26 April 1921

Dear Staats-Anzeiger!

I always wanted to postpone the writing of my reports until there was a good rain. Since day after day the storm keeps getting worse, and one question after another appears in the paper from acquaintances in the New World about how their relatives are doing here, I can no longer wait for the rain and have to satisfy the requests. Later on I will report how the weather is doing.

In Issue #73, Johannes Kloetzel is asking me to report if Joseph Boehler still resides in Balmas. Yes, he still lives here in Balmas. His son Christian was married two months ago to Leokadia Gross, daughter of Johannes Gross from Emmental. Today Joseph Kupfer from Balmas is getting married to Leokadia Mueller, daughter of Mathias Mueller from Emmental.

Also in Issue #73, Johannes Lemer is asking for information about where Lorenz, Titus, Felix Lemer and his brother Simon are living, and if they are still there. All the Lemers who used to live here in Balmas have resettled during the war into the Cherson area. Shortly after that Lorenz Lemer’s wife died there. I can’t report anything more right now.

Joseph Gauer is asking me to nudge his godfather Johannes Bullach in the side so that he will report more often in the paper, or at least write a letter. I have done that already, and we have also reported to the paper about the wedding celebration of his daughter Aloisa, but the report never appeared in the paper. (*Editor: If the report didn’t appear it surely didn’t arrive here, and we are sorry about that.)

Today Wilhelm Gross from Linton mailed a letter to his brother-in-law W. Gross. He was not sure about the address, since W. Gross used to live in South Dakota.

Mr. Bullach is asking the brother-in-law for the correct address.

Now I would like to tell the Staats-Anzeiger to get in contact with the Knauth, Nachod & Kuehne Company for remittances of money to Bessarabia, so that the recipients of the money won’t have any difficulties here. (*Editor: It is done. The remitted receipts for Mr. Ludwig Schmalz and Joseph Wagner should be cashed at the post office in Kainari. The bank in Bukarest has nothing to do with this. Both of them were money orders not bank vouchers. We will take the advice of the honored Mr. Correspondent, and we are going to get in touch immediately with the company in Leipzig, Germany.)

I am heartily greeting Anton Goldade. I did receive his letter, but I know nothing yet about the dollar he has supposedly sent to the Staats-Anzeiger. Up until today I have only received support from Kasimir Reis. He sent 2 quires of paper, 30 envelopes and 2 pens. (*Editor: If Mr. Anton Goldade sent us $1 for Mr. Correspondent and he did not receive the money, then there is something wrong. We are asking Mr. Goldade, wherever he might be, to contact us be mail about this matter.)

This should be enough for now. I am greeting the reader’s circle and the editor.

Respectfully,
Romuald Dirk

From: Balmas, Bessarabia
1 May 1921

Worthy Staats-Anzeiger!

On 27 April and again on 30 April, we had a nice rain, so that all the seed can come up which has been lying dry in the ground. The weather today promises more rain. There is very little news to report from here.

Thank God, the thieves and robbers have spared us for now. We hope to be that lucky in the future.

We hear nothing from the Cherson region here, but I have to report that 500 refugee families from the Cherson region have arrived in the city of Akkerman. They are Germans from Selz, Baden and Kandel, and they are kept under the supervision of the police.

Nikolaus Mueller returned from Krasna on the 26th and reported that he had visited Joseph Ternes in Krasna. Joseph Ternes told him that Philipp Hintz from Krasna has been in Akkerman. There he had personally talked with the refugees from a distance of 20 paces, but had found out very little.

Now that this thing about Mr. Hintz has become known, people from Krasna and from Balmas are ready to make more inquiries in order to help those poor people. They also want to find out their names and which colony they originate from.

Now it would also be very important to know if the passage from Rumania to America is open. There certainly will be many people who will contact their friends and ask them to take them in. (*Editor: There is nothing to stand in the way of the journey, but congress accepted a law for the limitation of immigrants. There was a detailed report about this in the paper and also a report about how many people of each class of people would be accepted yearly.)

With a best wish to all readers and the editorship signs,

Romuald Dirk