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#33 Ferry Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan,
December 9th, 1905.

Richard Rathbun, Esq.,
Act. Sec., Smithsonian Institution,
Washington, D. C.

Dear Sir:-

I regret that absence from Detroit has prevented earlier acknowledgement of the receipt of your valued letter of December 5th containing a copy of the resolution passed by the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution at a meeting held on December 5th. Accept, please, my appreciation of the kind consideration expressed in the resolution, and let me add that I am to be in Washington next week and while there I shall take pleasure in calling upon you and in learning the facilities existing in Washington for giving the proposed Exhibition. At this time I hope all necessary details can be considered and determined.

Now, concerning the publication of the correspondence which has passed between your Institution and myself. I feel that for the present it had better be kept confidential. Personally, I have no objection to having the correspondence appear in the public press excepting that portion of it pertaining to the intentions of Miss Birnie-Phillip, the executrix of Mr. Whistler's will.

However, as I am hoping for the pleasure of seeing you in Washington next week I deem it wiser to let matters stand in their present confidential light until after our interview.

It is a real pleasure to know of your personal interest in my collections and I thank you for your kind reference thereto.

Believe me,

Very sincerely yours,

Transcription Notes:
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