Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family

Title

Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family

Creator

Bouman, Jon Anthony, 1873-1958

Identifier

WWP23091

Date

1920 May 2

Description

Letter from Jon Bouman to his family.

Source

Gift of William C. and Evelina Suhler

Subject

Germany--History--1918-1933
Correspondence
Berlin, Germany

Contributor

Rachel Dark
Denise Montgomery

Language

English

Requires

PROOFREADING

Provenance

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.

Text

Adlon Hotel
Unter der Linden, Berlin May 2
(Sunday eve)

Dearest;

I have not had a letter from you this week, and hope all is well at your end. Perhaps the mails are slow again; one cannot tell. One of the two letters you sent to the Central has miscarried; it could not be found; probably as you say, it was the first one you wrote, when things were rather topsy turvy here .

Yesterday (the first of May) passed off very quietly here; I was among the crowd that processtr’d through the fashionable Tiergarten quarter, and I listened to the speeches – couldn’t hear half what was said, but shouted back “hoch!” when the others shouted hoch! It was very much like Hyde Park on May Day; the usual banners with inscriptions” “Proletarians unite!” &c &c. and parades of schoolchildren bearing green branches, and very proud of their red rosettes. Some little girls had red sashes, and one little wife was carrying a motto: “We want secular schools”; I am sure they didn’t know what it meant. The teachers who went alongside to keep order were fearful creatures; one fat woman roared her song like a bull of Bachan; for of course they sang the Workers Marseillaise. It seemed queer to hear that tune in the heart of Germany. So I picked up a little cable story and sent it off. In the afternoon there were no newspapers, Allah be praised! Neither were there any today, Glory be! So in the morning I went and explored some of the other part of the town and in the afternoon I went for a ride on a motorbus to a suburb called Halensee where I had some alleged tea. This was really the first outing I have had since I came. This suburb is quite attractive, fine country houses, spick and span, of course the trees are at their best now, the lawns very green, and the lilacs out everywhere. There was rather a moist heat today, and you could almost see the things growing.

Well, I have taken the plunge and ordered a new suit; very plain dark material, and I hope for the best; it had to be. It cost 2500 marks, and I hope to realize something on the old suit. These now fetch quite good prices I am told, because people cannot afford new clothes.
I have just heard that news has come from New York that Powers is not coming back, he has resigned his post, and nothing has transpired about a succession. Of course C.S. Smith was booked for the job but he got stuck at Constantinople because Denny got fired in London over the Times affair and could not relieve him. Denny however doesn’t like his job so probably there will be another reshuffle which may release me after a time, so we will have to possess our soul in patience. I have only been away six weeks, but it seems longer.

Tomorrow, at last, I am going on night duty, after a lot of delay owing to strikes and other hitches. Our office is much more commodious in every way than Paris or London although it looks out on a blank wall and not out on a garden, as our hotel office did. But there is space and air, and modern equipment. I must say the Germans build good houses, although they often overdecorate the fronts. But I haven’t seen any jerry-built houses yet, and everything is solid, and well made and finished in detail.

I haven’t seen Edwin Wilcox for some days; I believe he is taking a trip into the country.

I am writing this up in my room after dining downstairs amid the gilded youth, age, and furniture, and feasting my eyes upon sundry enchanting apparations. One was like this; and even made hardened natives smile:--

(To the right of written text is a drawing of a middle-aged, overweight, woman in an expensive evening gown and jewels with a feathered hat perched on her head.)

But one really sees extraordinary physogs, sometimes just like the cartoons….

Congratulations on the rise in the sugar ration, which I read in the German papers that you are about to get. I suppose it will be some time before we are through with this rationing business.

I have just heard of the death of the Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden, wasn’t she rather a favorite of yours? Very sad, only a young woman. The dispatch said blood poisoning something from facial erysipelas, which seems very strange.

I am looking forward to your next which I hope will come in tomorrow or soon after.

Kiss the bairns for me, and believe me
Ever thine,
Jack.

Original Format

Letter

To

Bouman Family

Files

http://resources.presidentwilson.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/1920-05-02.pdf

Citation

Bouman, Jon Anthony, 1873-1958, “Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family,” 1920 May 2, WWP23091, Jon Anthony Bouman Collection, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.