University of Minnesota Minneapolis, Minn.
1313-5th St. S.E.
Jan. 5, 1920.Dear Miss Palmer,
Your letter of Dec. 28, reached Minneapolis before I did. I thank you, and was glad to receive it. I arrived here Dec. 31 at 6.30 P.M. It was very cold and snowy nearly all the way and trains were delayed so that my schedule was impossible to keep to and I took trains just as they happened to connect.
I spent most of New Year day looking for a room, which was very difficult. The attendance at the "U" is greater than ever and this section of the town is greatly overcrowded, so that rooms are hard to find. I consider myself lucky in that I came across this place where I am at 20.00 a month, - an ordinary front room located quite near the "U", and have settled down for six months.
As I said, the attendance at the "U" is very large - Freshman Class 4,000. Most courses were so overcrowded that forever a week now no more students are permitted to register. New Year papers stated this, saying that only courses in Math. History and German were open. This has forced quite a few into our classes, and a great deal of confusion still prevails. We have, nevertheless, a great increase in the department. When the final figures are available I shall let you know. Perhaps you may judge from my classes what the situation is. At 8.30 Mon. to Fri I have about 40. beginning German; at 9.30 the same five days I have 35 in a Rapid Reading course and at 10.30 M.W.F. there are ten in my Commercial German class. I then have 13 hours a week and not a very heavy schedule, as you see. The classes average about 1/5 girls to 4/5 men.
Prof. Schlenker informed me that one of the men on leave of absence would perhaps come back and if this is so there will be no place for me. This particular man has, however, informed me that he would in all probability not return. He has gone into Y.M.C.A. Americanization work and receives $3200, whereas his salary at the "U" was $2,000. Therefore, I am quite positive that there will develop a need for me or some one else in my place. For I have not yet abandoned my plans regarding the Consular Service. I shall postpone the taking of the exam, until the summer when I am free to go to Washington. Yes, Miss Palmer, this work would take me out of the country, perhaps to India, Persia, Chile, China or elsewhere, and it would be some years before I could select my location.
Let me answer your questions regarding the relief work! Most of the food is sent by Parcel Post, but the tons of freight have been sent from Philadelphia and New York as freight. Smaller boxes are packed into large ones and when these reach Hamburg they are opened and the private packages sent on, the freight from Hamburg to destination being paid by the receiver. With these large boxes are sent dozens of medium sized ones from 40 to 150 lbs, prepaid to Hamburg from whence they are sent on as the others. The first two shipments were sent to Philadelphia and placed on steamers chartered and running under the supervision of the Friends (Quakers). These steamers are now too overloaded and the last shipment was sent thru a shipping company in New York. Don't hesitate to send things by Parcel Post registered. Hundreds of our packages have arrived. The question of duty is being regulated. We learned that if packages were sent to private families and did not contain more than, say, 2 lbs of coffee, tea etc. - articles dutiable -, there is no duty required. These packages should bear the stamp or writing "Liebesgaben." I have painted this word on all of our freight sent by the last shipment. If you send clothing do not send too much of one article and call it "Liebesgaben." There will, we have heard, then be no duty charged to the receiver.
Regarding my thesis, let me say that it is written in German and I should prefer to have it appear in Germany for various reasons. First, I think it will someday be worth more if this is the case, and secondly it will be cheaper. It is perhaps not necessary to send me any letters from Germany, for I have received several and expect more. These have given me a rather good idea of how things are over there.
I am sorry to learn that your mother and aunt have not been well. Please remember me to them with best wishes.
Yours very sincerely
Richard Jente.A real western blizzard is raging outside. Since I have arrived zero weather has prevailed continuously.