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Plaza Hotel,
Buenos Aires, January 12th, 1942.

Dear Germain,
I only received your charming letter to-day. It was forwarded to me to Chile from St. Regis, and Patricia brought it from Chile to me, the day before yesterday, when she came to join me in Buenos Aires. I was very glad to hear from you, and very worried to hear that our poor friend Hans has not been well. I do hope he is taking good care of himself, and that by now he has completely recovered.

You ask me for my impressions of Chile. I had a very pleasant surprise, the country is much better thank I thought it would be, the people are very nice, and there are very good hotels, clubs, race courses and swimming-pools, besides many other improvements. The people are very poor, and so there are hardly any private collections or fine art. In this country to the contrary, it is very rich, there are many very well-built private houses, and a very great French influence everywhere. Unluckily I have got here in the summer, and there is hardly anyone here, and all the houses are closed up until the Autumn. A few friends have come back from their country houses to see me, and I have had lots of invitations from all over the place. When I have been here longer, I will write you and give you my full impressions of the country. Here there are many shops of all kinds, but there are no antique dealers. The only one is Wildenstein & Co., There is also a friend of mine called Mr. Pirovano who has been in Paris, and was a great friend of Jean Michelle Frank. He has a shop in Calle Florida very successful, and they have enlarged it considerably recently. People here do not seem to like spending their money in the country, they save it up to buy things when they go abroad. Anyhow now travelling is very difficult, so perhaps they might change their minds in the near future.

Regarding the ring, I would be delighted to let you have it for the exhibition of jewels through the centuries, but I am sorry not to able to give you a definite answer as I have made no plans myself, I may go back to the States at the beginning of Spring or stay here, all depends on how things work out, of course I would very much prefer going back to New York, but at the present moment I do not see very well how I can manage it with all these new complications that threaten to get worse any moment. Now as the ring is with me, it will be very difficult to let you have it if I do not go back.
Well I shall write you again, as soon as I get more in