Some of the greatest letters you will ever read

The Daily Mail ^ | 12-30-13 | Ted Thornhill

[afraidfortherepublic]

As Adolf Hitler pulled the world ever closer to conflict in 1939, Mohandas Gandhi wrote him a personal letter, urging him to pull back from the brink 'for the sake of humanity'.

The German dictator never received the letter because it was intercepted by the British government - but it's been published in a book called Letters Of Note, along with many other remarkable missives.

Here we've selected some of the most memorable. Along with Gandhi's letter they include a child's dietary advice for President Nixon, a tongue-in-cheek reply to a fan from Steve Martin and a letter from the co-discoverer of DNA, scientist Francis Crick, to his son, explaining the achievement.

The above letter from Gandhi to Hitler was written just over a month before conflict broke out across Europe, after Germany invaded Poland.

Incredibly, even though Gandhi was all-too-aware of the nature of Hitler's regime, he still addressed him with the utmost courtesy.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Go to the source to see/read the letters. I especially like the one to Nixon from the little boy offering health advice. And the one from Queen Elizbeth to Eisenhower is priceless. The one from the FBI to Martin Luther King is chilling.

[PGR88]

The German dictator never received the letter because it was intercepted by the British government

Too bad, because no doubt a gentle-soul like Hitler would have been moved to change course by a relatively unknown, naked Hindu ascetic in far-off India.... /s

[afraidfortherepublic]

Dear Mr. President,

Seeing a picture of you in today’s newspaper standing in front of a barbecue grilling quail, reminded me that I had never sent you the recipe of the drop scones which I promised you at Balmoral. I now hasten to do so, and I do hope you will find them successful. Though the quantities are for 16 people, when there are fewer, I generally put in less flour and milk, but use the other ingredients as stated.

I have also tried using golden syrup or Treacle instead of only sugar and that can be very good, too. I think the mixture needs a great deal of beating while making, and shouldn’t stand about too long before cooking.

We have followed with intense interest and much admiration your tremendous journey to so many countries, but feel we shall never again be able to claim that we are being made to do too much on our future tours! We remember with such pleasure your visit to Balmoral, and I hope the photograph will be a reminder of the very happy day you spent with us. With all good wishes to you and Mrs. Eisenhower. Yours sincerely

ElizabethR

Link

[PGR88]

I never really have given much thought to British Royalty, but the more I read about Elizabeth II, she truly is one of the classiest, most polite individuals. What’s even more remarkable is that even though her entire life has been in the public eye, there is hardly a whiff of crassness, pettiness or anger having ever been seen from her.

[cripplecreek]

Hitler would have agreed with Ghandi’s belief that the Jews should have handed themselves over for slaughter rather than being the cause of a war costing many more lives.

It just proves Ghandi to be a fool. The war wasn’t fought because of the Jews. The war was fought because socialist Hitler kept running out of other people’s money and needed to invade to seize more.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

Too bad, because no doubt a gentle-soul like Hitler would have been moved to change course by a relatively unknown, naked Hindu ascetic in far-off India.... /s

The really scary part is that most Liberals think that a letter like that WOULD move Hitler to change course. If we just could have gotten through to him to make him realize that we were just like the Germans, war wouldn't happen . . . . . .

[afraidfortherepublic]

Somehow I doubt that the Queen actually bakes scones herself, but I might try her recipe.

[madison10]

Going to try these...in about 15 minutes. They look good.

Thank you, Queen Elizabeth.

[madison10]

How much is a “tea cup” of flour? Wonder if a regular measuring cup would do?

The book sounds like a great gift for someone.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Ohhhhh. Give us a report, please.

[madison10]

Shoot, Queen Elizabeth left off the temperature and length of time to bake. Bummer.

[afraidfortherepublic]

I think that is about right because most of my “tea” cups measure about a cup. I think she varies the amount of flour, depending upon the number of guests anyway, so I imagine the consistency of the dough is what is important.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Try 350 - 375 and start with 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. We have a grocery store here that sells “mini” scones in different flavors — cranberry/orange, cinnamon, poppyseed, etc. They are SO good. They are about the size of a “2 bite brownie” and make a great snack. I always buy several packages of them to take to the polls when I work on election day, and they are always a hit.

In other words, you could make them small, like cookies, or drop biscuits, and just bake until done.

[madison10]

The scones remind me of popovers. Didn’t have castor sugar so used regular sugar and added a bit more butter because I doubt if Queen Elizabeth at the time used skimmed milk. Used the tea cup measuring. Grease the pan, but don’t use the spray stuff, not the best results.

Dropped them on cookie sheet about the size of cookies. For being so plain they taste quite good. Second pan was better.

I think 475 (which I got from looking around online) is a bit too hot, your 375 is probably better.

[donmeaker]

She certainly doesn’t show the craziness of Anne or George III.

We were indeed lucky to have her father rather than David who became Duke of Winsor. Sending the Baltimore Tramp over to visit him ended up being a very good thing for Britain.

Her grandsons seem to be like her. Her oldest son, not so much.

[a fool in paradise]

Bump for later

[Boogieman]

No, Gandhi clearly wouldn’t have agreed with that position:

“…He who cannot protect himself or his nearest and dearest or their honour by non-violently facing death may and ought to do so by violently dealing with the oppressor. He who can do neither of the two is a burden. He has no business to be the head of a family. He must either hide himself, or must rest content to live for ever in helplessness and be prepared to crawl like a worm at the bidding of a bully”

http://www.mkgandhi.org/nonviolence/phil8.htm

[henkster]

Ghandi’s letter to Hitler, however well-meaning, illustrates a maxim the whiny metrosexuals in our government seem to deliberately forget:

You cannot make peace with a man who is determined to wage war.

[cripplecreek]

Yet it was what Ghandi himself said.

[cripplecreek]

Ghandi was pretty typical of the heroes created by liberalism. I’m sure he had some good points but history doesn’t much acknowledge the fact that he used a lot of doubletalk.

He used lots of words that took all sides without taking any sides. When a victor emerged, congratulate them for their win while criticizing the way they did it.

He said the Jews had no right to “Palestine” because nobody has a right to anywhere but the Palestinians live there so they have a right to Palestine.