THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

From R. Vaughan Williams,
The White Gates,
Westcott Road,
Dorking.

[Early February 1939]

Dear Maud

I hate writing begging letters – I know in my bones that you have already done more than your share for refugees – Here is a case – I just send it for what it is worth.
Love from
RVW

Dr Fuchs (Jew) is an Architect from Carlsruhe – was in a concentration camp for two months – was then released and obliged to leave. He made arrangements to go to New Zealand. The Authorities there required that he should bring £1000 for himself, wife and 2 daughters. This, at the time he had, but by the time he reached England the Nazis had left him only £300. His passage is already booked for Feb 17 but unless he can get the money he will have to forfeit it as it was paid in German money.
He has now managed to raise £600 and it seems to me that it would be tragic if he could not sail to New Zealand where there are good prospects for him because of this.
He is a fully qualified architect with all the German diplomas & incidentally an excellent musician & a charming cultivated man with a very nice and capable wife. Owing to the fact that he came to England at the private invitation of some friends in Dorking he is debarred from any of the public refugee funds.¹

1.  The case is in Adeline VW’s hand. In her reply, dated 5 February, Maud Karpeles promised to make a loan of £50.