It Really Was a World War
“…You presume immediately that these foreigners are some of the Russians you have heard practically fill the streets of the Kansu capital. But they aren’t Russians — only more Norweigan youngsters. The third batch, in fact, coming through Moscow from Stockholm on their way to Canada and RAF training.”
This quote comes from a July 11, 1941 letter from Melville Jacoby to David Hulbard, then Time Magazine’s news bureau chief. It describe’s Mel’s visit to Lanchow during a visit to Northwestern China with Carl and Shelley Mydans. I love how it illustrates just how global World War II really was.
I’m reading some of Mel’s correspondence as I prepare for the final push of my Kickstarter project. I’m also in Los Angeles doing research and visiting some locations of significance to Melville Jacoby’s early life (That explains my pictures below of my visit to the wreckage of the ship once known as the S.S. Melville Jacoby). If you’ve been thinking of backing the project but haven’t yet, please do so now by visiting the Kickstarter link and clicking “back this project now.”
[Update 4/23/12, 12:18 p.m.: The Kickstarter campaign is now over, but you can continue to learn about and support the project directly on my Web site at: http://lascheratlarge.com/melville] As I only have three more days to reach my goal. It’s all or nothing: If I’m even a few dollars short I won’t get funded (but my backers won’t get charged, either, so there’s nothing to lose), so even just the price of your next beer might make the difference.
