To: Mrs. Donald D. Smythe
827 E. 11th, Street
Eugene, Oregon U.S.A.

June 12, 1924

Dear little wife:-

It looks as if we will have to change our plans again and cut out our time in Japan. I am sorry but conditions don't look good for a sight seeing trip there just now. There is not any danger but the Japs can be very nasty when they want to be. We would have to make the trip from Tientsin to Kobe on a Jap boat and they could make it very unpleasant. You probably know what is happening in Japan as well as I do so won't go into that. Even here in Tientsin the Japs who have always been friendly to us are getting nasty, that is they are no longer polite when you go into the stores etc. On account of this trouble you had better buy your ticket straight through to Shanghai. The boat will stop in Japan so that you can see some of the country but you better not go ashore by yourself. The boat will make three stops, Yokohoma, Kobe and Nagasaki. You will probably leave Kobe in the evening, if so be sure to get up early the next day as you will be going through the inland sea, the prettiest thing you will see on the trip. If you go ashore at Nagasaki you will have a chance to get some tortoise shell. They make it up there from the shell itself.

At Shanghai the boat anchors about 9A.M. at Woosing and you will have to go up the river in the tender which the C.P. furnishes. I will try to come out on the tender but you will have no trouble even if I don't make it since I will meet you at the Customs house and get you through. There is not much in Shanghai but we can take a day in Soochow on the way up.

I have to go to town now so will close.

With lots of love,
Don