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Hotel Adlon, Berlin W.,
Unter den Linden 1,
am Pariser Platz.

July 13th, 09.

My dear Colonel Heckner,

Your cablegram came last evening reading "Cabled Wallis three thousand pounds, leaving five thousand dollars in banks after all drafts and bills paid".

I thank you most heartily for having so promptly taken care of these financial matters for me. My purchases far exceeded my intentions when leaving home and they amount to a lot of money, but when I have the pleasure of showing them to you you will, I am sure, approve and congratulate. I have made five different visits to the famous Sarre Collection in the Emperor Frederick Museum here, which is the best collection of Persian pottery in Germany and probably the second best in Europe. And the whole collection does not include a single specimen equal to any one of at least eight of those recently bought by me in Paris and London, and in numbers my collection is easily three times larger than his including my late additions. Such results seem to me a reasonable excues for my extravagance. As to the Whistlers, well, you fully understand that whenever I add to the finer ones I already have specimens such as those recently secured, I am increasing the interest in the entire group by rapid leaps.

By the way, a letter rec'd day before yesterday from Mr. Edward Robinson from London, advised me that Sir Purdon Clarke has been given a year's absence from the Metropolitan Museum because of failing health and that Mr. Robinson formerly Ass't. Director has been appointed Actg. Director, and he is now very anxious that I shall keep a promise made to Mr. Robinson before sailing from New York --- i.e. to cooperate in making a fine exhibition of Whistler's paintings at the Metropolitan Museum whenever Sir Purdon's authority in the museum should cease. It is now over, and I am willing to cooperate and have so written Mr. Robinson. I have suggested January next as the time and have suggested also that he invite your Music Room, Canfield's three important ones, Mr. Pope's two, Mr. Whittemore's two and very few others. Mr. Robinson will doubtless soon write to you and I hope that you will feel inclined to loan your beautiful picture.

I shall arrange my travels so as to return to Detroit in time to aid in hanging the pictures. I now think I can do what I want in China so as to return home before Christmas.