Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family

Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family

Bouman, Jon Anthony, 1873-1958

WWP23030

1919 April 4

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;

     I have waited writing until I heard the safe receipt of my cheque which came last night and I would have sat down and replied at once, had I not had an appointment with Lady Muriel Paget, who kept me talking in her room at the Hotel Lutetia until nearly one in the morning - no cause for jealousy dear, although she did wear an exquisite blue confection with stamped gold patterns! She had just come back from Bohemia where she had been organizing relief, and as fate has brought me in rather close contact with the Czechoslovaks, her experiences interested me. You would have been delighted with some native embroideries she showed me, munching lumps of sugar the while out of a wooden box.

     I must at once confess my unbounded admiration for your explanations about the new home - pros and cons carefully marshalled, its almost too perfect!! Dousslers D.C.T., had he seen your letter, would have again testified to your extreme competency in dealing with business affairs! Well, I hope it will be a success, although it is more than I wanted to pay; but as you say there was no choice, it was undoubtedly the best thing to do. From your map I know the whereabouts of the road, although I don't know the other side of the Archway Road very well. I will sign the document as soon as it gets here.

     Berry arrived here yesterday, mighty glad to get back especially as his wife is to undergo an operation, dating back to her confinement 10 years ago. However, it is not supposed to be serious. So we have had long confabs. together about the situation in Holland. He came via London, and after all he wasn't so much quicker than I was, coming to Paris. He tells me Amsterdam is quite empty of newspapermen - Bram is in London Feibelman in Vienna, Renwick in Berlin and Maloney and Stockwell in Copenhagen. Josten also in Berlin. Young Maloney is the lonesome bird in Amsterdam and he sends about one message a week. Time was they sent 5000 words a day! You may have read Harold Begbie's story of an interview with the Kaiser in the Daily Chronicle. I have incontrovertible evidence that it is invented from beginning to end! Some enterprise! I shouldn't have though a man like Begbie would do such a thing.

     After the Czechoslovaks, I went among the Jugoslaves as you can see by enclosed programme. It was a very crowded function, and the singing was very fine, after which I joined a distinguished party at tea.

     A young Dutch-American officer whom Rooseboom and I know had a birthday the other day, and as we had done him some good turns, he insisted on giving us a dinner. He was 40. We got the only free table at a very crowded restaurant and found ourselves next to another birthday party - another American and he was also 40 that day! Wasn't that odd? Of course they were perfect strangers and we only discovered the coincidence through overhearing scraps of conversation. Afterwards there were mutual congratulations and raisings of glasses, and we parted the best of friends.

     The weather is keeping very cold here and I have read recently of snow in London. We have however had some sunshine lately, which is to the good. I hope you are all keeping very fit. When the Easter holidays come, do let me have a postcard picture of the bobbed-hair babes. I smiled to myself when "bushy eyebrow Berry" recalled his visit to the house at the Hague. Poor Mrs. Wilkie must feel pretty lonely now, I guess.

     You will laugh when I tell you that lately I have given way to the vice of reading in bed! But I swear I only do it because there is an electric lamp overhead against the wall. I have borrowed a few books from Frank, where I still occasionally spend a short Sunday evening. It is the funniest thing to hear Frank talk to his wife with vous. No Frenchman ever would; of course they always use the second person singular tu. I rallied him about it and he replied that he found vous easier, as the conjugation of verbs tied him up so! How I laughed! He is as quiet and friendly as ever, and I like him very well, also his wife.

     Well, dear, I hope to hear from you again soon. My first act every morning is to search the letter box. Your letters written on Sunday generally get here Wednesday morning. Your last, being Tuesday April 1, got here Thurs. evening.

                                                    With all my love, and hugs to the babes,
                                                      Thine, 
                                                        Jack.

Letter

Bouman Family