Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family

Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family

Bouman, Jon Anthony, 1873-1958

WWP23156

1927 December 13

Letter from Jon Bouman to his family.

Gift of William C. and Evelina Suhler

Germany--History--1918-1933

Correspondence

Berlin, Germany

Rachel Dark

Denise Montgomery

English

PROOFREADING

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.

Dec. 13, 1927

Dearest;

The Paris express came from Russia into Warsaw station Sunday night with long icicles hanging from the windows, and it was so cold that on arrival Monday morning in Berlin they could not open the doors as they were frozen tight. Inside it was warm enough however and I had the compartment all to myself. We crossed the Polish-German frontier at 5 a.m. when I had to get up and pay duty on a box of chocolates from Miss Chrzanowska (our Warsaw correspondent) for Lochner’s children, but fortunately this was transacted in the train.

My passport is now full of visas of strange countries which I had never expected to see, and what I don’t know about sleeping cars isn’t worth knowing!

I was recalled to Berlin earlier than I expected because Enderis is on the sick list and Lochner had to go to Hamburg on an assignment which made it necessary for me to be on deck and so I hadn’t a minute yesterday to tell you of my return.

Everything O.K. at the Pension: Frau Hanns, who is in charge, reminds me very strongly of Mrs. Benham as we used to know her, both in face and stature; she is quite a nice person. There are Scandinavians, two Italians, a couple of English and a Spanish university professor, all apparently respectable people, also a German who, it came out in casual conversation lived 30
years in London and had been interned in Alexandra Park from which he said he could see his house in Cranley Gardens which he had rented from Collins! He lost all his money and business during the war, and when repatriated, he came to Berlin with pound 2 in his pocket. However, he seems more prosperous now.

The letter you sent from my old Middleburg friend Bosman was a request if I could not find a place for young Hans (now 21) in our office. It seems the said Hans is very clever, but he went to the university to study law and got so much into “jolly company” that he neglected his studies and now wants to take up journalism. His father says he wished he wasn’t so clever, because then he would then be able to control him better, and how he doesn’t know what to do with him! So there’s another case of a parent’s dilemma!

I am surprised at receiving this warrant for 2/4; I don’t know whether I am entitled to it as I sold the stock when I was in London as you know, last November; so I cannot now produce the stock certificate which is required on drawing this amount; you might take it to Crouch End P.O. and see if they will cash it; explain that it was sold so that you cannot show the stock certificate.

Now about Betty’s statement, our address (permanent) may not be 10 Stanhope Rd any more when it becomes effective; I think we had better make it c/o The Associated Press 9 Carmelite St. E. C. 4, don’t you think?

Then under No6, I suppose we must enter Bill as at Pitman’s School and as regards No10, that floors me completely. I don’t know how much per annum I can contribute towards her education and maintenance, I should like to talk that over with you. With our finances in the present fluid condition, I haven’t any notion what to put down, especially as we don’t know whether any of the others are going to earn anything. I should like to have your judgment on it. You can fill up the other sections including about Mary (No6) and Bill should go in that too, I suppose. It’s very harassing to have to do this at this time, I’m sure. Then I must also get some more information about Niemam. I shall meet the British consul next week. I also have to see some of Lochner’s friends, and then see about a flat. It’s awful as I have so little time, the office is being driven harder and harder and these things are worrying me, and no chance to talk things over quietly. Smith has been at Geneva for the L. of N. Council meeting and he hasn’t even definitely informed me whether the office is going to pay for the removal, so everything is in such an uncertain state that I hardly know what to do. I have put down my salary for year ending Ap 5/28 as 14 weeks at pound 13 and 35 weeks at pound 15.

Best love to all,
J.

Letter

Bouman Family