Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family

Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family

Bouman, Jon Anthony, 1873-1958

WWP23175

1928 April 5

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

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.

                                                  28 Zimmerstr.
                                                  Berlin SW 68

                                                  April 5, 1928

Dearest;

     I was thankful to hear of your safe arrival home after your joy ride to the South; I am always rather apprehensive of motor trips, only the other day I read that the wife of the Brazillian minister here had been killed in a motor accident near Grenoble. Not that I mind it when I take a trip; I had a long ride in an 8 cylinder limousine from Königsberg to the Baltic coast where they dig amber out of the soil; there is a great factory there, the only one of its kind in the world, and it was a very interesting sight. I have written an article about it. It was just like a gold mine, and they wash the amber out of the earth. 

     My trip to Königsberg was quite a success; it was pretty hard driving from early morning till midnight, always on the go, but I hobnobbed with all sorts of big wigs who had an immense respect for the United States of America which I sort of represented, and I got more social invitations than I could possibly attend. So I had to promise that next time I would bring my wife and all the family. Another spot on the Baltic was Rauschen, a very nice watering place, which I fancy would be like Bournemouth before Bournemouth was built over. 

     So Bill has started to work in Estlin Grundy's office! I wonder how he likes it and what he has to do. It certainly is the kind of office he could start work in, because of his Spanish, and so I hope this may lead to better things because Estlin could never pay him much, but he will be gaining experience.

     Well, about Betty I suppose it  had not to be. Never mind Bec, I'm sure you did your best. You will just have to come along with the others. I am still planning to come home for a week at the end of this month and take Mary with me. I must keep the rest of my measly holidays till you come.

     Betty thought there would be no holding you after you came back from your trip; I hope that if you have to be put under restraint, they won't be too horrid to you!!

  Oh yes Bec, I've read Capek's letters long ago! Although you beat me on Galsworthy.

     Enderis has got his sister from Milwaukee here, to whom he is very devoted, and he is taking her around the town. I am glad he has this relaxation, because he worries me so. It seems she had an awful passage and was ill most of the time.

     I hope nothing will happen to prevent me coming to London, but newspaper life is getting more and more hectic every year. All sorts of possible developments in addition to events that are known before such as elections etc. This wretched trans-ocean flying has started early this year too, and then Lochner will be away from a long time from the office because of the Amsterdam Olympiad and the preparations for Nobile's arctic flight from some place in Pomerania. And when one man is away from the office it makes things awkward.

     Today I got a letter from Mackenzie asking me to write up something quickly about Spitsbergen in connection to these flights. As I have no material here I will have to compose something out of my noddle.

     So Eva is off to Trinidad. Well that's a nice trip too. It seems the whole world is being shaken up, everybody flying off somewhere on the least possible provocation!

     I had a letter from Frank Grundy saying how he enjoyed your visit and he said he was much impressed by your cheerfulness in facing the prospect of leaving your home and country for a foreign land.

     It seems they had a festivity at the Pension while I was away, to celebrate the 40th year of its existence. When I got back on Wednesday morning, I found the front door all decorated with evergreens and other signs of past celebrations. People here give a Fest, with ham and jam and beer by the bucketful on every possible occasion which must all cost a lot of money and yet they keep grousing about hard times. I suppose that is all in the programme. The number of treats, free rides and free meals for the press is simply amazing, one simply could not take them all in and do work at the same time. Next week there's some "do" at Hanover again. I don't suppose we shall send anybody there.

     Everybody is going out of town at Easter, but we carry on as usual. Best wishes and all my love to you all.

                                                  Thine,
                                                    Jack

Letter

Bouman Family