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Mr. H. C. Frick -2- October 10th 1916 coming on the market, and during the war, this is very easy for me, because all my competitors are in America selling their stock. I also would like to go to America, but, unhappily, I cannot. My children are on the front, and I should be too unhappy, if anything occurs to them, not to be here to nurse them if they are wounded. I would write you sometimes, but I fear to annoy you. Would you like, I ask you the question straight forwardly, to have sometimes letters rom me, and perhaps one in which I offer you something which I have bought. Are you in the market for 16th century bronzes, beautiful Limoges enamels, or some 18th century sculptures. If so, could you promise me not to tell the Duveens that those goods are offered by me. I certainly do not mind, if you have not got confidence in me, that you show them something which I offer you, but you must not forget that they are terrible competitors. You certainly know Mrs Huntington, with whom I have made for millions of dollars transactions, and perhaps you might do me the favour and ask her how Duveen has tried to spoil my good relations with her, especially at the beginning when I made her acquaintance. You must not forget, my dear Mr. Frick, that, in 25 years, I have perhaps not bought three articles joint account with the trade, and therefore their critic might be based on jealousy. When you buy goods from dealers who are trusted, you cannot think that one is spoiling the other men's goods, as long as those goods belong to the trust, but if an independent man like me comes near the customer, they are not very fond of seeing him make a transaction, especially on account of the buying power in Europe. They hinder me from selling my goods, they believe to spoil my buying power, and this [H.365.015]