Dear Mr. Benedite,

I beg to acknowledge with many thanks receipt of your two esteemed letters dated the 18th, July and 14th, August last respectively. I took liberty of cabling you on the 11th, September last, in response to your first mentioned letter, reading as follows.

Your letter 18th July received stop Please accept heartfelt thanks stop Please ascertain prices Durand Ruel wants for Renoir an Puvis stop Thank Darde for kindness stop Give your American address stop Don’t visit Paris during your absence stop Wish American trip bon voyage Matsukata

I was very anxious to hear your American address, since you wrote me that you were coming so far as San Francisco, because I thought that it will be very opportune to invite you just cross over to Japan when you came so near to us. I am afraid the cable was not delivered to you before your sailing for America, and I am exceedingly sorry on account of the reason just mentioned. I shall be much obliged to you for information if you were successful in inducing M. Durand Ruel to part with Renoir and Puvis [rajouté manuscript : at what price].

Now I have to acknowledge with many thanks receipt of your second letter and as I have not confirmed my cable, neither acknowledge receipt of your first letter, I am hastening to write you to Paris, as I was not in receipt of you American address as stated above.

You will please excuse my failure for writing to you before this, when I explain to you with regrets that I was compelled to keep rooms from illness and thereafter absent from office altogether for several weeks, owing to unexpected sudden demise of my mother. I have now just been able to see my way through the long neglected business matters, and I am thus taking the first opportunity to write to you, to acknowledge receipt of your letters and to tender you my deep gratitude for your kind and much appreciated efforts.

I am rather disappointed to hear your efforts on Cottet and Claude Monet have been futile so far; but I am still hoping you will succeed for securing their representative samples on my behalf, through your influence and unfailing kind efforts. [ajouté manuscrit : I rely upon you so much that if you were insuccessful I consider it my misfortune and am ready to give it up] I am very glad that you have successfully obtained two of Puvis de Chavannes and more so at low prices.

Very many thanks for your kind caution about the brokers and imitations ; I shall never buy any piece without first consulting you, if I were going to buy one from the dealers in Paris. I know too well that there are a lot of these sharp dealers even in your country as they are rife here. Very many thanks again for your kind warning. I do not know really how to thank you and express my deep appreciation to M. Darde for his giving me one of his two bronzes “Eternel Grief” at such a sacrifice through one of his sublime idea. It was very noble of him to act in such a way, and try to help any one like myself trying to develop fine arts universally. By the way, can you not contract with him to get more bronzes and some marble work for me? In your doing so I shall owe you more thanks.

I was always exceedingly thankful to you, because you are so keenly taking troubles for my Museum and collection, and there is no adequate word to write you expression of my sincere gratitude for all troubles. It will be an idle remark to mention that I know you will always do your best for me. Please exercise your great influence and help me to make my Museum worthy of the name. I am very glad you are preserving photographs for future catalogues and my collection, and your suggestion is quite right, as they will only make the catalogues complete.

I am also very pleased to hear that my first order for Rodin is nearly completed by this time, and that you are preparing for casting “la Porte de l’Enfer”, which should be a very great thing when finished. Very glad indeed that you have kindly reserved two of Gillot pictures and hope that you have already paid cash to him. Please let me hear later how they were admired by the public during the Exhibition. I am fully aware of difficulties to obtain good pictures by Maurice Denis and I know if I were going to have one of this modern master’s, it was only successful through your untiring efforts for me. I have only heard definitely from Mr. Brangwyn through cable about this artist’s two pictures purchased in London with four Mancini’s one and one Toulouse Lautrec’s ; but I don’t know what sort of pictures they are. I did not buy seven pieces of sculptures he telegraphed.

I am very glad to hear that M. Denis has promised you two pictures for me, and how glad I am feeling. The French artist help me through your influence, to exhibit their work with ardent desire to show the French arts in the Far East. This already I owe you a great deal and moreover, they have kindly reduced prices considerably, besides some of offering etchings, designs and something else. This noble idea is characteristic of your people who have shown they are gallant warriors in the battle field.

With this association of the French noble character, I always admire to collect French arts through your goodself, although I am afraid I am imposing on your kindness and putting unlimited troubles on your goodself, which I take for granted you will forgive for the sake of arts and civilisation.

Whatever you may say modestly about your attitude toward my Museum, dear Mr. Benedite, it is my heartfelt gratitude toward you that I am able to have such a collection of the French fine arts, and I am certain that the Japanese public will come to see the birth of this Museum in true light, when it was completed and open to them.

It is very interesting to hear your brief description of “Defence” statue at Verdun. It must be a very colossal one, if it is double size of my “Defense”. Surely it would be a most imposing one and proper for the honourable city of Verdun, I am sure.

I am more than sorry my trip has had to be postponed till next year; but I am most eagerly looking forward for the day, when I will meet you and personally tender you my sincere thanks. Please mention my kindest regards to Miss Benedite and tell her I am praying for the health and happiness of your household members always.

With kindest wishes to you and again tendering you my apologies for neglecting writing to you sooner.

I am, dear Mr. Benedite,

Yours [ajouté : very] faithfully,

Kojiro Matsukata

[ajouté manuscrit] Your artist Steinlen is a fine draughtman and splendid painter. I hear. If you think so. Won’t you kindly arrange with him to sell me four or five pictures for my museum. Any hour I owe you a great obligation.

Yours. K. M.