Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family

Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family

Bouman, Jon Anthony, 1873-1958

WWP23045

1919 June 6

Letter from Jon Bouman to his family.

Gift of William C. and Evelina Suhler

Correspondence

Paris Peace Conference (1919-1920)

Rachel Dark

Denise Montgomery

Austin Shifflett

English

Evelina Suhler is the granddaughter of Jon Anthony Bouman and inherited the family collection of his letters from the years of World War I. She and her husband gave the letters to the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum in 2013.

Dearest,

    Welcome to your new home! I can see you bustling about, putting our little Dutch brass things where they will catch the visitor’s eye! I hope our things have been kept in good condition and that there won’t be too many breakages to report. Take your time over it. You cannot expect to get the service of the prewar days, remember, and nothing is gained by worrying about people not getting on with the work. It is the general malaise that always follows a war. Above all, don’t overstrain yourself.

    Herewith cheque for £35 which is the best, I suppose, to do to keep you going. I have forgotten what the school fees are, so could not figure out the sums you have to pay now. Towards the end of the month let me know how you stand, and then we can see further. Or by then I may be more definite about my returning home. I only had about £20 cash here so had to raise the rent on my June salary as my bank balance in London (after paying £10.10.3 insurance premium), is down to about £16, so if the bolshevists come and seize the bank balances, I don’t stand to lose much.

    Yes, Jones sent the receipt for £1.2.- to me.

    The exchange is still ruinous – today 30.10 francs to the £ sterling. Of course there is a way to avoid losing so much on the exchange. A month or two ago I asked Jones in London if he could not send you the monthly cheque and I would repay him on my return to London, or whenever the rate got down to some reasonable point. So Jones goes and asks Collins, and Collins being probably busy, says: “Oh, ask Yonatt in New York”. So Jones asks Yonatt and Yonatt writes to me that he doesn’t see the point exactly but I can charge up to the office what I lose on the exchange. I suppose that’s allright but what I wanted to do was to turn an honest penny because the rate is bound to go down after peace is signed, when I would be able to repay Jones in London at that rate. You bet some of these bankers are making fortunes, as one can see in this luxurious writing room of the bank with its old mahogany, old English prints on the walls, (the King, God bless him, is looking down upon me), and dainty casement curtains. Writing cases and blotters of gold stamped leather; everything you need of the finest description, but you may be sure they are charging my account with a guinea a year because the balance is too low, whereas here in France one gets 2% interest on whatever balance one has. Ah well, I think I’d rather have no money to bother about at these times, so long as we have health and my job holds.

    A great pity I lost the chance of dining the other day with the 75th descendant of Confucius and a number of high Chinese mandarins which would have been a memorable occasion, but it was Frank Grundy’s day off and it could not be managed. We were all up to our necks in work, and I think nobody went to the dinner, which was a pity.

    You seem to have had quite a deal of social excitement lately what with Lady Diana Manners marrying and Lord Ribblesdale marrying Mrs. J.J. Astor. Have you heard or seen anything of the Spencers lately, or of Mrs. Wilkie? She sent some news “on absolutely reliable authority” to the NY Times the other day which was officially denied, but then the denial may be a lie, and she may be right.

    Berry seems to be having a quiet time, of course he is on the watch all the time. Maybe after peace is signed there will be some movement. The talk is now the 15th of June or thereabouts, what a joke if it should be on my birthday!

    Here too, living isn’t getting any cheaper, rather the reverse, as people are now beginning to realize the enormous financial dead losses incurred by the war. “We must work harder and live more simply” is what people are told, and they agree with it but nevertheless go on spending right and left recklessly, same as in England. What would you? The human race consists of fools, if they aren’t rogues. Forgive me dear for this outburst but you know my feelings about mankind. I love you all the same; may we soon be re-united!

    With love to the bairns,

Letter

Bouman Family