We do not ordinarily offer a man a position without seeing him first but certain local people in whom I have

We do not ordinarily offer a man a position without seeing him first, but certain local people in whom I have confidence are recommending him … L S McDaniel, President, Kanawha College.CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA, 14 February 1939Cousin Helaine,FLORSHEIM, GERMANY, 16 February 1939My dear Cousin,I have not written for a long time because we all have believed to come in a short time in Your country Your registered letter … You will be able to come over immediately providing no unseen circumstances come up … On 13 December 1938, Julius wrote back to her.]Dear Cousin Helaine,Today a letter was mailed to the American Consul at Stuttgart, requesting him to contact Cousin Max offering him a position as a professor of chemistry at Kanawha College … Sincerely, Julius Hess.[The American relatives secured a job offer for Max Schohl as a professor at Kanawha College, a small junior college founded in Charleston in 1932. For reasons that they would not learn for years, the letters from Germany were suddenly coming from Max's 18-year- old daughter, Helaine. all together.I have today written to the Department of Labor to obtain from them the forms you mentioned in your letter, namely Form 575 and 633 As quickly as I receive these I shall fill them out ...

As I said before, I shall ask my influential friends for their assistance...Write to me often ... and above all do not worry about your English as we think it is quite alright... Julius.CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA, 18 November 1938Dear Senator Holt,This gentleman and his [family] are by no means ordinary immigrants, but should be classed in the Non Quota class, and are surely deserving of your most kind consideration. And even the quota was not filled; in 1938, 18,000 were let in.]CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA, 18 November 1938Cousin Max,I do not know just how matters stand since the time you wrote me your last letter, but I sincerely hope that you and your family are still … Julius read, too, of President Roosevelt’s outrage, although the President indicated he had no plans to increase immigration.

At the time, the Charleston paper reported, there were 220,000 applications for visas to America at consulates throughout Germany, while America’s annual quota for Germany was 27,370. Max.FLORSHEIM, GERMANY, 29 October 1938Cousin Julius,[9 and 10 November were Kristallnacht, the Nazis' public rampage against German Jews. For days, Julius Hess's evening paper, the Charleston Daily Mail, carried two or three front-page stories, describing the looting of Jewish shops, the torching of synagogues, the arrest of thousands of Jewish men, the establishment of Jewish ghettos, the banishment of Jews from public schools, public events and the workplace. When these men would write some words to the American Consulate at Stuttgart ... that Dr Max Schohl from Florsheim should come as soon as possible to the States, because he knew a lot of very interesting things for American chemical industry, I am sure I get my American Visum... Now I can hope again, to come over in Your country, where I can live as a respectable man ...

We know, too, that in the States will be worked very hard; but that is nothing against the bad position, which we have now...It has been very clever of you, that you have spoken with two influential men, of whom you have written. Your cousin, Julius Hess.FLORSHEIM, GERMANY, 25 September 1938Dear Cousin Julius,I thank You from all my heart for Your letter ... Be sure and let me hear from you in English just what takes place. You might also write me the names of your friends in Milwaukee and Franklin so that I may get in touch with them and let them know when you expect to arrive... I have signed your affidavits [of sponsorship] and they should be in the American Consul’s hands …I have requested two of our most influential men, Hon Rush D Holt, United States Senator, and Hon Joseph Smith, United States Congressman, to write the American Consul for his help, and I am assured that both of them will do what they can …From what I understand, you will be notified by the American Consul at the proper time regarding your passports. I am sure when I am in USA in a few months I speak all what I need.Your grateful cousin, Max.CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA, 13 Sept 1938Dear Cousin Max,It is with much pleasure that I can write you this letter to inform you that I am doing everything in my power to arrange for your coming to this country …