マーティンデール氏と八藤雄一先輩の手紙
| マーティンデール氏と八藤雄一先輩の手紙
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| Aug 5,2003 |
| Dear Yuichi: I will try to answer some of the questions you asked in your letter. Of 7/23. Unfortunately, there are a number which will have to go unanswered because I did not know everything about how the monies and accounts were handled in the canteen. I will simply tell you what I know and recall. All of it will be a repetition of what I have already told you. The officers were paid a monthly salary equivalent to their rank in the Japanese military. Ten Yen (Y10) of that amount went to the canteen fund ( in the name of the officer ) and the rest of it was deposited in a bank account in the officer's name. The officer was allowed to get items from the canteen worth up to that amount each month. The canteen officer ( Captain Wimer ) had to maintain a set of books ( financial records ) which showed how much money had been put into each officer's canteen account ( credited to that account ) and the amount ( cost ) of the items the officer received from the canteen. These financial books were inspected or seen by the Japanese. Watanabe may have been the only one who looked at them. I do not know anything about this matter. Also, I can only presume, or believe, that a similar book-keeping system was used for the enlisted men's accounts because I do not know anything about how they received or got items from the canteen. We were not allowed to have any monies (currency ) in our possession ( officially ), but Captain Wimer did give the officers ( at least some of us ) some currency ( Yens ) so that We could buy some of the items which the men had muggled into the camp. He had to keep a secret set of books ( records ), which were hidden from the Japanese, in order to know how much money he had given us. The amounts he gave us in actual currecy were shown in the official set of books as items we were supposed to have bought from the canteen supplies. I do not know how he justified, or accounted for , any differences in the canteen's inventory of supplies. I do not know anything about the money he was actually given by the Japanese for the canteen. I do know that he was able to order items for the canteen from a Japanese civilian (?) who came to see him and I believe that he paid thecivilian for thoese items. The fact that he gave money to the officers and may have paid the civilian for supplies indicates that Wimer did have some currency in his possession. I do not know anything about what happen to this money at the end of the war. I only have a very vague memory of Wimer telling me that he turned the books and money back to the Japanese after August 15th. The canteen had very few items on the shelf in Wimer's room. I do remember that there was some tooth powder, some times there would be some small pocket size not-books that were used as address-books and short pencils. I recall that I did get some curru powder so that I could use it on my rice. Actually, there was not very much to buy because of the war-time shortages. I do not know what happened to Wimer's secret set of records. He may have destroyed them. "Canteen credit" refers to the amount of money which has been deposited (?) in your name ( credited to your account ) at the canteen. The price of an item you got from the canteen was deducted from your account. The remaining amount was how much was left for you to spend ( line of credit ). This is a book-keeping procedure ( as you know ) when no money actually changes hands or is used in the transactions. This can be called a positive (+) transaction. The term or word "credit" is also used when you buy something and do not have the actually money to pay for it, at that time, but you are expected to pay for it at a later date ( like using an American Express card ). This can be called a negative (;) or debit transaction. I trust that this will answer most of your questions. It is all I know about the canteen records and monies. Tomorrow, my son and I will be driving down to Padre Island ( southern tip of Texas ) where my oldest daughte's family will join us to celebrate their birthdays ( 8th and 10th of August ). My youngest daughter is coming from North Carolina. I am looking forward to the family reunion, but not to the long drive there (6 1/2 hours ). I will be gone five days. It should be a little cooler there than here. We have had 7 days of 100 to 102 degrees temperature here and more is expected. Please give my best regards to your family. Sincerely Bob Robert R. Martindale |
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如水会 実務英語研究会
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