Viewing page 864 of 978

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

Grand Hotel des Wagons-Lits, Limited.

Peking, Sept. 28th 1910.

Dear Colonel Hecker-

Having already used about half of my letter of credit and needing ten thousand dollars gold within a few days, I have just wired you requesting a cable remittance of L 2000, to the Hongkong, Shanghai Bank here, and suggesting the use of funds in my New York bank account. I added the letter because I told George to draw on that fund only when necessary.

I am securing now through plans started during my last visit here, great paintings such as are not known to exist outside of China and such as I have never before seen. I was told of them last year, but doubted my informer. Today, I have bought them and when your remittance arrives they will be delivered to me.

I am also bargaining for some superb sculptures subject to obtaining the consent of the Chinese Government to their shipment. I lunched with Mr. and Mrs. Calhoun today and placed the matter fully before him. He appreciates the importance of the sculptures and will do all that he can to get permission to ship them. The opportunity is now ripe and he will do his best - a better time will never come. So, I look upon it as now or never. Still, I am ashamed to ask for so great a favor.

I am well and up to my neck in work and social follies. After this week the brakes must be set or I'll be buried out here.

You and yours are all well, I hope. I wish that Mrs. Hecker, Louise and you could have been with me when outside of the city walls, where I went through the grounds of a great thirteen-storied pagoda, to a little village, and saw the sculptures pried out of the mud into which they had been dumped from a freight car, cleaned by a dozen coolies, and once again stood for examination in pure sunshine - such as they were honored with by their Buddhist creators 1500 years ago.

But I must restrain my enthusiasm - for the Chinese Government is still to be heard from.

Sincerely yours, C.L.F.