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Astor House Hotel,
Mukden, Decem. 25th 1910.

My dear Colonel Hecker -
I arrive here from Peking last night, and this morning wired you holiday greetings and added that I expected to reach Shanghai January 2nd. This is a pretty desolate place to spend Christmas, especially in view of having received from friends at Peking, Tientsin and Shanghai most attractive invitations for the day, but one can't be in several places at the same time, nor participate in all of life's rare charms. There's lots in retrospection, however, and my mind has flown from Detroitward frequently during the day. I have seen only the fringe of this war-famous place as yet! - its arts of peace call me. Having seen the latter as I hope to do in two or three days, I shall go on to Shanghai via steamer from Dalnay.

I have finished at Peking and vicinity for the present, but must return there again in the latter part of next March. By degrees I am learning how to secure the high grade objects desired for my collection. Those of this sort are not now as easily secured in Peking as they were last year and at the time of my arrival in Septem 1910. The news of my success has brought plenty of buyers from Europe and while they are getting very little of the sort I hunt for, they are booming prices terribly and are causing owners to hesitate to sell. Anticipating this contingency, in 1909, I sent one agent into the interior before leaving for America. He furnished a number of the fine things sent in the shipment of five cases concerning the safe arrival at my house, of which you so kindly cabled me recently. This same agent knows of other purchasable specimens in the interior, and [[strikethrough]] in early January [[/strikethrough]] early in January he is to start out again on a second trip for my account, and expects to return to Peking during late March. It is principally to meet him that I have decided to return to Peking next spring.

Another reason [[strikethrough]] giss [[/strikethrough]] is to meet another man who brought me eighteen important paintings from far away interior cities, to pay for which I asked you to cable me the £1,250. which came with remarkable promptness.

Now, this second man says he can fetch me during April next from the province of Hupeh, on approval, a collection of over forty pieces of ancient painting, pottery, and bronze, all suitable for my collection and at reasonable prices. If he can, I must do my part!

Another thin in my mind, importantly lodged, is a desire to see the second Lung-men of China, which is located near the great wall, in northern Shansi,- an out-of-the-beaten-path-place, and the remaining spot in China, unknown to me, containing excellent early Buddhistic sculptures!

Capt. Reeves, U.S. Army: stationed a tour Legation in Peking, an experienced traveller in China, is deeply interested in my experiences at Lung-men in Honan and wants to see Lung-men in Shansi - so do I - Together we may go to Shansi starting from Peking about [[strikethrough]] May [[/strikethrough]] April 15th next. But this trip, is as yet, only in contemplation and may be abandoned. The country in northern Shansi is said to be very beautiful, peaceful and without the bandits of Honan. So if we go, we are likely to have less exciting experiences than befell my expedition in Honan.

The situation in China as regards my collection is very interesting and may remain so for some years, or it may end abruptly any day. The kind of objects sought by me, have only recently been sought by others, and, as yet, few, very few people recognize the original objects when found - but some are learning and will ere long recognize the real thing on sight. This means soon many competitors. Then - too, the number of real fine things, even in the interior, may be less than I have fancied.  And worst of all for my interests, the intensely interesting political changes taking place daily at Peking, may include prohibition of exportation of artistic objects at an hours notice. The situation seems very mixed to all of the foreign diplomats and every leading one of them advise me to make hay while the sun shines. Under such lively circumstances, I deemed it wiser to abandon all efforts to obtain consent form the Chinese Foreign Officer to take