Accession Number 11680
A Collection in
The Special Collections Department
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Alderman Memorial Library
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University of Virginia
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USA
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2001 February 01
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Preferred CitationRuth Anderson Letters, 1945-1955, Accession #11680, Special Collections Dept., University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.
Acquisition InformationThis collection was given to the University of Virginia Library by Naomi Wallace on September 13, 2000.
Descriptive SummaryRepository: Special Collections, University of Virginia Library
Accession number: 11680
Ruth Anderson Letters 1945-1955
Physical Characteristics: 15 items
Language: English
Abstract: This collection consists of the fifteen letters of Ruth Anderson to Naomi Wallace, 1945-1955, written from stations in post-war Europe where Anderson had been assigned by the State Department. She worked for the U.S. Political Advisor on Austrian Affairs, Mediterranean Theater of Operations, U.S. Army.
Scope and Content Information
This collection consists of the fifteen letters of Ruth Anderson to Naomi Wallace, 1945-1955, written from stations in post-war Europe where Anderson had been assigned by the State Department. She worked for the U.S. Political Advisor on Austrian Affairs, Mediterranean Theater of Operations, U.S. Army. A photograph of Anderson is included. In several "reports" to her friends back home, Anderson describes her voyage in June 1945, on the Motorship Gripsholmfrom New York to Naples, the drive on to Caserta; and the journey north from Caserta, Italy to Vienna.
According to information in the letters, Anderson left New York City on May 31, 1945, and docked at Naples and was taken to Caserta, Italy, on June 13. She reported to work in Caserta on June 14, and remained there until June 22, when she left on her journey to Vienna, Austria.
While on board the Gripsholm, Anderson describes in a letter to (her sister?) "Es," written on June 9, 1945, with an addendum on June 16, her stateroom and cabin mate, Caroline Wadsworth ("Wendy"); the advantage of being the only person aboard who can speak Swedish with the crew, who made the whole ship available for her to explore; other passengers, including the oil men going to Saudi Arabia, missionaries en route to India, and State Department and Foreign Service people (ca. 1945 June 12).
She writes a four page summary, ca. June 19, 1945, of the voyage over on the Gripsholm, sailing from New York City on May 31, 1945, and reaching Naples on June 13th. The ship carried about 900 Italian and Greek deportees, all of whom had served at least a year in jail. Anderson jokingly says that somehow they managed to arrive at Naples with only two non-fatal stabbings to their credit. After disembarking at Naples, Anderson was whisked away to Caserta, Italy. She includes a detailed description of her living quarters, social interactions, a visit to the villa of the American Ambassador Alexander C. Kirk on June 16, attending the Palace Opera House on June 17, and the wonderful cuisine that she enjoyed during her meals, especially in Naples at the Villa Galotti on the 18th.
A second four page summary letter describes her adventures leaving Caserta on Friday, June 22, 1945, with several other government employees, in two Studebaker Commander "Skyway" sedans, traveling on the shore road from Caserta to Rome, and the events on her drive to Rome. She remarks on the efficient draining of the Pontine Marshes by Benito Mussolini, the Anzio beachhead, the bombed-out villages and other evidences of the recent conflict along the road, and the tourist sights in Rome.
They stayed in Rome overnight, leaving early the next day (Saturday) in order to reach Leghorn by lunchtime. They enjoyed dinner in Florence and continued their drive over the mountains, where they could plainly see the results of the enemy's opposition to the arrival of the men of the Tenth Mountain and the 88th Division (Blue Devils). Stopping briefly in Bologna at the Army Information Center to refuel, they did not arrive at the Colombo d' Oro in Verona until 2:30 Sunday morning, on June 24th. Later on that Sunday, they attended a party at General Mark Clark's villa on Lake Garda, which Anderson describes in detail, including a glimpse of General Clark surfboarding (attached to letter dated June 30, 1945). At Verona, Anderson worked at the 15th Army Group Headquarters.
Her next letter, August 7, 1945, written at Verona, Italy, discusses her weekend vacation at Lake Como and her pleasure about Naomi's marriage to Wayne Wallace.
A letter written from Vienna, ca. 1945 December-1946 January, discusses her work at the U.S. Consulate in great detail, where she is helping with the registration of American citizens, by keeping the appointments for registration and oaths, and reviewing the applications for correctness and completeness. She also answers questions for Austrian employees and visitors to the Consulate and is the custodian of the Red Cross food parcels distributed monthly to American citizens. Some of the parcels had been stolen or sliced open to take out the cigarettes for sale on the black market in Vienna. Her other duties which she includes under the term "welfare work" involved helping Displaced Persons, refugees from Central Europe, each with a story of suffering and hardship. Anderson also describes her twelve-day leave to Paris taken after Christmas with Nancy Jenks.
A letter from [1947?] discusses the rumors about Soviet attempts to have Austria partitioned, the desperate food situation in Austria despite the fact that the United States is pouring food into the country, and problems resulting from drought. In another letter, September 19, 1947, she congratulates Naomi on the arrival of a son, Douglas. Another letter written about 1947, describes her work with repatriating American citizens and the procedures she follows, and gives her impressions of the people of Denmark, Sweden, and Germany, which was formed during her vacation trip last September.
By 1951, Ruth Anderson was posted to London, Great Britain, in the Notarial, Consular Invoice, and Shipping Section, where she complains that she does not have the opportunity to use her languages or learn any new ones. She goes on to describe her flat and housekeeper in great detail (1951 Sep 8).
Other topics in the letters include low morale as a result of changes in the Foreign Service [1952 Dec], a trip home to the United States (1954 Oct 8), and a letter from a later post in Hong Kong (1955 Jan 2) where she mentions Christmas celebrations, the view from her hotel room, and Hong Kong itself, especially the contrast between the rich and poor.