The end of the War.

Since his arrest on March 18, 1938, Charles has survived Dachau and Buchenwald, made his way west to Shanghai, has brought his wife east to Shanghai, operated several businesses, given lectures and still was able to create a symbol writing.

Hitler's Germany at last crumbled. During the last months we had great pleasure to hear on the German radio of Shanghai the voice of Goebbels and sometimes Hitler how they ranted and how they pleaded. In the spring of 1945 there was a terrific harvest of strawberries in the Yang-Tse valley. Strawberries were there in masses for little money and Claire took advantage of it and served me huge bowls with milk cream. I said then, that the difference between me and my old friend Himmler was only a difference in taste. I preferred at the time strawberries with cream, whereas he preferred potassium cyanide, just a difference in taste, nothing more. And suddenly even the pacific war was at an end. ^{(SS 210-68)}

And so suddenly without one Japanese shot being fired, the war came at an end. It was most dramatic. We had gone to sleep but were woken up by noises in the streets, exciting shouts from people, and great commotion. We rushed into the street and learned that Japan had surrendered. I did not believe it at first, and rang up the editor of the Jewish weekly, and she confirmed me the news. Everyone embraced everyone else and we all danced in the streets. No one could close an eye during this wonderful night, when all our torture and all our sufferings seemed suddenly to be at an end, ^{(SS 210-68)}

And equally suddenly there were hordes of American airplanes in the sky landing at Shanghai airport. And equally suddenly the whole Wangpoo river was full of American warships. And equally suddenly the streets were full of riotous crowds surrounding the American sailors, airmen and marines. The Chinese kept on exploding fire crackers, and everybody rejoiced. Claire and I stood and embraced each other. For us, it has been worthwhile, all the sufferings, and all the hopings and courageous living through. At last, a new life is opening up to us. And soon something came up of which I never had dreamed, an opportunity to make money for our future life. The Americans began life in Shanghai in a very big way. They opened up various agencies, and employed thousands of refugees. They opened up a big department store, a P.X. a Post Exchange as it is called, where American men of the forces could buy things cheaper than anywhere in town. Many were sent home and they wanted to buy Chinese silk, and pajamas, and lingerie, and cameras, cameras, cameras, of which there was almost nothing in the U.S.A. it appeared. And all of them wanted to take pictures of the exotic Far East. Soon, Jews got influential posts in those American army installations, and they could give favours to their special friends. And soon Mr. Diamant got the camera shop concession in the U.S. store. However, he soon found that it was beyond his strength and ability. And so, he remembered me as a honest man and he came to me and offered me a 50:50 partnership in the business. But after a few days he made me another proposition, “Give me $500” he said to me, “and I shall hand you over the whole business, Bliss!” he said. $500! I had not even $50. For three days and three nights Claire and I worried whether we shall do it or not. The commander could kick me out the very next day if even one soldier complained that he had seen a similar camera at a cheaper price. And how could I then ever repay the $500? At last, we took the plunge and I borrowed the money and took over the camera shop. The very same day our turnover was $750. And soon I had to hire 6 sales men and women. In the morning I would dash around from one Chinese camera shop to the other. They realized that I could buy cameras in masses and they were prepared to sell them to me at a lower price. I in turn had to sell them lower than in other shops, but the turnover was so great that after 9 months of operation, when the P.X. came to an end, I had a small fortune of about $10,000 tucked away. Without Claire who stood in the shop the whole day and watched over everything I never could have done it. Among my albums and scrapbooks the researcher will find photos taken by American army photographers with me and Claire at the counter of our shop in the American P.X. There is also the text of a poem which I displayed over our counter and which was much appreciated by the many American customer, who not only bought my cameras, but even copies of my photos and movies of Shanghai. Claire and I, we made a rousing success of it. ^{(SS 210-68)}

In the morning we would go out together. Claire would take a rickshaw into the P.X. and I would pedal away with my bike, and in front and at the back two big baskets for cameras. I would go from one dealer to the other, and they would already have lined up the cameras I wanted. We would quickly come to an agreement, and then I would pull out of my pocket hundreds of American dollars and pay. When the baskets were full I would arrive at the P.X. Claire had already opened the big safe and with the help of the employees the cameras were put into the show cases. Business was already in full swing. Then I would come usually before lunch hour closing time and during this hour Claire and I and two employees would put price tags on all the new cameras and put them into the inventory with lens numbers and all. Shortly before closing time we would check up on every camera we have sold and still have, and so a complete inventory and stocktaking would be done every evening. I never lost one camera. Then in the evening Claire and I, both carrying bundles of American dollars, would set out for home: Claire in a rickshaw and I on my bike behind her. Weary but happy we would soon fall asleep. ^{(SS 210-69)}

Buying and selling cameras at the American PX. Claire is on the left of the photo.

During these months of peace and a new life I thought a lot of what to do. I was already 48 years of age and Claire was older. Should we emigrate to another country and start life afresh, with the hard work of building up again a business? Why not stay in Shanghai and conclude our life here? We could now afford a fine apartment with at least 2 Chinese servants. I could have a fine camera shop in downtown. Soon all the British and American businessmen would return, because Shanghai was their home, and some of them were even born here. I had acquired a solid reputation as an honest and capable man and everyone would remember (as they indeed did) that I had not taken advantage of their plight, when they were about to go into internment. Moreover, China was now a firm ally of America, and America and Russia and Great Britain together could crush any new would-be dictator. In order to understand the great importance of Shanghai, and the immense business prospects it contains, let us remember that Europe has only 370 million people whereas China has over 550 million. Now imagine if the whole import and export trade of Europe would be channeled only through two great ports, London in the North, and say Genoa in the South. This was the comparison with China where only Hong Kong in the South and Shanghai in the North were the main ports of trade. Because of' this unique situation, we in Shanghai never suffered the scarcity of any commodity, simply because the storage houses were crammed with goods for the whole of China, which was out off from Shanghai. Consequently, every chemical and every foodstuff, and everything else was available in plenty. The Japanese wanted to take everything to Japan, notably food, because the Japanese people were starving. But the American submarines would sink every Japanese ship which came out of the Yang-Tse. ^{(SS 210-69)}