LXX Rominten 3/X/1912

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WWI Document Archive > Pre - 1914 Documents > Willy-Nicky Letters between the Kaiser and the Czar > 'Willy-Nicky' Letters XLIX - LXXV (22 August 1905 - 26 March 1914) > LXX Rominten 3/X/1912



LXX
Rominten 3/X/1912


Dearest Nicky

May I venture to call your attention and also your interest to a plan which has allready occupied my mind since some years. During my stays at Rominten I have minutely studied the question of the development of the frontier country[1] on both sides in my vicinity. I have come to the conclusion that the districts on both sides of our frontier are promising and may expect a hopeful future. But they must be opened up and also, if possible, be brought into relation to each other. On the enclosed railway map, a line is marked in red, it is a new railway which is going to be built running around the great Rommter Heide, so as to rend the transport of wood easier than now. The line runs from Goldap, past Pablindsen to Szittkehmen where it strikes the branch line to Eydtkuhnen. The line will open up stone and gravel quarries and pits and will transport a large amount of wood out of the Rominten forest. Now I venture to submit to your attention the idea wether it would not be a practical thing for your Government to lay a line from Suwalki to Pablindzen and there join our line. This would develop commerce between the two districts in a fine way. Pablindzen is allready a point over which a very "lebhafter Verkehr" to and fro has developed and is promising much more, in case a line came there. This plan has been discussed with your authorities since a considerable lapse of time, and I especially had talked it over with Mr.de Stremaukow who was very much interested in it and thought it most necessary also in the interest of the Government of Suwalki. He promised me he would report to you in a favourable way about this scheme and prepare to take an active part in furthering it, when he was relieved from his post, and so there was an end to it. That is a great pity because the frontier people are most anxious for the development of this question and he was quite acquainted with all the details of the question on both sides of the frontier and in permanent "rapport" with my authorities here. All this has stopped now, as his successor has a yet taken no steps to communicate with his collegues accross the frontier, though he is in office since 2 years. Therefore the people from all sides begged me to lay the matter directly before you. This I have done. I beg your pardon for troubling you with such a miserable little frontier detail; but 24 years living among these people I have grown together with them and they have gained confidence in me. They are simple, quiet, laborious and as all frontier districts a little bit forgotten, and as it is a good deal to help such poor felIows on, I try my luck with you. I had good sport -- about 19 Stags -- but beastly weather excepting 2 days. Today snow and hail. Best love to Alix and the children and Waidmannsheil for you from Ever your

most aff-ate cousin and friend
Willy

Note

  1. Some of the lines suggested by the Kaiser were eventually built. They had little strategic value, however, and only served the busy traflic which was here developing.

WWI Document Archive > Pre - 1914 Documents > Willy-Nicky Letters between the Kaiser and the Czar > 'Willy-Nicky' Letters XLIX - LXXV (22 August 1905 - 26 March 1914) > LXX Rominten 3/X/1912