Memoir of Mrs. Virginia Hamill Biddle , 2011
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Library of Congress Memoir of Mrs. Virginia Hamill Biddle , 2011 Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project VIRGINIA HAMILL BIDDLE Interviewed by: Self Initial interview date: November 23, 1994 Copyright 1999 ADST Born of a Swedish mother in 1904 in Omaha, Nebraska but taken when a baby with older brother and sister to Saint Joseph, Missouri, an aristocratic little town in the mid-west where childhood was spent until sent away to an Episcopal School, Grafton Hall in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin for a year. Then to a girl's finishing school, Briarcliff at Briarcliff Manor in Westchester county, New York for two years graduating in 1924, when mother suddenly died in her garden. Shortly after moved with father to Beverly Hills, California until sailed for Japan to be married in 1930 to Charles W. Biddle, an executive in the National City Bank of New York, now known as the Citibank. While living in Honolulu the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941. Remained there until sailed 10 days later for the United States and did war work in Washington, D.C. After war was over sailed for Bermuda in 1946. When making a courtesy call on the American Consul was launched into the Foreign Service and spent 20 years serving in the posts of Tangier, Paris, Bangkok, Palermo, Memoir of Mrs. Virginia Hamill Biddle , 2011 http://www.loc.gov/item/mfdipbib001684 Library of Congress Stockholm, Istanbul and finally in the Office of Protocol in the Department of State, retiring in 1966 to the island of Palma de Mallorca, Spain where lived for 18 years. Returned to Washington in 1984 to be with aging sister, Mildred Trimble, accompanying her every summer to England with the Attingham group to study the historic homes, until her death in 1986. Twilight years now spent writing memoirs which the Foreign Affairs Oral History Program of the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training, Foreign Service Institute and Georgetown University, requested for their archives. Bermuda - January 1946 to July 1947 Bermuda's motto is borrowed from Virgil: “Whither the Fates Lead Us.” The Fates had led me to Bermuda. The manager of the Everest, where I was to stay was at the dock to meet the Furness liner from New York that brought me to Bermuda in mid January, 1946. This modest, English type hotel had been recommended because the people were kind and the food was good. It had a home life atmosphere and was situated in spacious grounds directly across from the beautiful cathedral, a dominating gothic edifice on Church Street. There were not many guests, but the few were very congenial. Gradually I became acquainted. The maid called me every afternoon to ask if I would like to have tea with Mr. Porter, an elderly gentleman who had been an instructor for years in Japan and translated Japanese poetry. We had many interesting chats over our cups of tea, preferring to speak of the more esthetic side of the Japanese rather than the horrible havoc they hurled on Honolulu that fatal day of December 7, 1941 when I was there. Soon I met Margaret McCollough, an attractive Canadian widow who had been living in Monte Carlo until just before the fall of France. We became friends at once and our friendship was to last for many years. Then Memoir of Mrs. Virginia Hamill Biddle , 2011 http://www.loc.gov/item/mfdipbib001684 Library of Congress there was Stewart Wilding, a jovial Englishman whose name appealed to me. We had fun cycling and picnicking together. Several notes of introduction had been given to me before leaving Washington. One was to Mr. Toddings, the publisher of the “Mid Ocean News,” which I presented shortly upon arrival. The very next day after calling on him I found myself in print. Little did I realize while we were chatting that my enthusiastic praise of the island was making copy for his paper. How could I have been so naive. But it was all true. Bermuda did seem to me like Tahiti and Hong Kong wrapped in one and I did believe that I had found what I had been looking for. Always a lover of islands and ever in search of the haven I felt I had found mine, especially after witnessing the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that suddenly plunged us into World War II and weary war years working in Washington. A note to Sir Howard Trot was also given me. Trot was a name interwoven in the history of the island when a family seat was established in the 17th century at their home Walsingham. He offered me a job in the office of the Inverery that began its career as a hotel in 1910. Fate stepped in. A courtesy call was made one day at our American consulate, a courtesy I knew was required of every traveler abroad. The consul who had a most charming manner was Clay Merrill, a tall, broad shouldered man dressed in tweeds. During the course of our conversation I just happened to mention that I thought I would like to find a job some where, not really having in mind one there. He asked me if I could type. I said that I could and then asked if he would like to see a letter I was fortunate to possess from my brother-in-law's father, the Honorable South Trimble, who had been for forty years clerk of the House. He read the letter thoughtfully and in a few minutes looked up and with a lovely economy of words said, “See my secretary, Lilly Olsen.” So I went into her office where she began to iron out the logistical details of salary. Before I knew it I had been given a job in the consulate. With the innocence of the proverbial lamb I had suddenly embarked upon a career in the Foreign Service of the United States State Department of Memoir of Mrs. Virginia Hamill Biddle , 2011 http://www.loc.gov/item/mfdipbib001684 Library of Congress which I was only vaguely familiar. But, with characteristic optimism thought it might have a future. How little did I know. I had been employed as a local and at a local's low salary, but I was lucky for later the State Department was cutting down staffs in an economy drive and no post could employ US citizens abroad. I was to be receptionist and relieve the colored messenger boy, Arnold, who had been doing this as part time duty. Never having had previous State Department training, I had it all to learn. Now that I had a job my living arrangements became inadequate. The Everest was comfortable for a short while, but I knew that I could not rest forever there and it didn't fit in with my now small salary, so I made a change. I moved to Ridlin, which was just around the corner on the other side of the cathedral and still in Pembroke parish. There I had a very pleasant room in the home of one of the old Bermudian families, the Sutherland Coopers. Three windows looked out upon their green spacious lawn bordered by flower beds. When all of my own things were unpacked and books arranged, it looked cozy and cheerful. Mrs. Cooper was a dear. Often flowers from her garden were on my breakfast tray the colored maid brought up to me every morning. The English-Speaking Union, familiarly known as the ESU, was just next door and after I became a member I could go there for lunch or dinner or have tea with friends. Some days, Arnold, the messenger boy, would bring me a sandwich which I would have sitting on a bench beside the water and watch the little boats ride gracefully at anchor in the port and have a stroll to sample the sea breeze. My evening meal was usually taken at Ye Olde Copper Bowl, a sort of tea room upstairs on Front Street where they began to know me and frequently prepared my favorite dishes. On weekends I loved cycling along the calm country lanes with a picnic lunch in my little wicker basket endeavoring to catch something of the spirit of the place and people. Just to hear the tinkle of bicycle bells and clip clop of the horses' hoofs and strange music of the sea was a delight. The consulate was on the second floor of an office building at one end of famed Front Street overlooking the harbor. It was just about a fifteen minute walk from Ridlin to the Memoir of Mrs. Virginia Hamill Biddle , 2011 http://www.loc.gov/item/mfdipbib001684 Library of Congress consulate, but after I bought a secondhand bicycle I could breeze down the hill to the office in five minutes. The Bermudians are born on bicycles, everyone had one. It was the most popular means of conveyance. The staff was small. The vice consul, Earl J. Richey, very good looking, just married and still on his honeymoon; the secretary, Lilly Olsen; and Helen Fuss who became my closest colleague; were the only other Americans. One local girl took care of the files, issued the passports and visas and the other local girl was the accountant. The office hours were from 9-5:15 Monday through Friday and 9-12:45 on Saturday. Thursday afternoon was always a holiday for the Bermudians when the offices and the stores closed at noon. So our shopping was done on Saturdays. But as a bonus we were given off the English, Bermudian and American holidays which added up throughout the year.