July 9, 1933
Canton

I am very, very sorry to be so slow with this letter but everything has been in a terrible uproar since last Saturday. I sent you a cable saying that we were all safe last Sunday and since that time haven't had time to write. I know that you must be very anxious to know what caused me to send you that cable. I sent it because I felt certain that the papers at home would have an account of the accident at the field which happened Saturday, July 1st. Papers often make mistakes in names and the details of an accident occurring here would, in all probability, be all wrong as printed in Los Angeles. Knowing that and thinking that you might feel some concern as to the correctness of the report, I stepped into the cable office and sent you assurance of our complete safety.

I am sure that the times had some account of the accident but I know that you are interested in the correct details. I am extremely sorry to have to report that Ed Deeds spun in and was killed at the field Saturday, July 1st.

This is the way it happened. The new Curtiss Hawks are nearly all here now and and are being set up at the field as quickly as possible. Mr Bayliss, and American expert from the Curtiss Wright factory, is superintending the assembling of the planes and is good. There was no trouble from that angle. Ed had never flown a Hawk, in fact I am sure that he had not flown a Pursuit job since the war. He was anxious to fly the Hawk and asked permission of the Chinese to do so. They granted his request and her started off Saturday.

He asked me to come along and fly another of the Hawks. I looked at the sky which was covered with low flying clouds and refused because the ceiling was was only about 2000 ft. I couldn't see myself stunting a new ship at such a low altitude. Jimmy Doolittle did it, but I am not Doolittle.

Ed took of and flew around for for about fifteen minutes down over Tungshan and his home, in which was his wife who had arrived three days before. Then he came back over the field at a low altitude. I was on my way down to the hangars in a car and had just reached the apron in front of the first hangar when I heard a terrible crash to my right. There about twenty feet away was the Hawk, nose into the ground. I rushed over and helped him out with the others-- he was unconscious all the time. We rushed him to the hospital but he didn't have a chance. In fact he never regained consciousness. The base of his skull was crushed in.

As you can imagine, this last week has been a nightmare. We have been doing everything we can to help Mrs. Deeds straighten out her affairs. We were held up waiting for a cable from his mother in Kansas City. Mrs. Deeds let her decide whether she wanted him buried here or taken home. Finally the answer came to bring him home. So now it has been arranged to take him home on the General Lee sailing from Hong Kong July 16.

Besides all that, things at the field have been terribly disrupted and the job of picking up the loose threads and carrying on with our work and his has been pretty bad. I have been on the go every minute and haven't had much spare time.

Jeannette and I are getting along quite well over here. There isn't much to do in the way of entertainment but everybody pitches in and gives dinner parties which help to fill out the absence of other things to do. As far as finances go we are making out O. K. At my salary it would be impossible for us to live on Shameen and save any money. However we are living in Tungshan, which is much cheaper, and really nicer, we think, than Shameen. Jeannette is holding the house expenses down marvelously and we are living very well too. We have an abundance to eat with quite a number of small luxuries that help to make it nice, and are purchasing beautiful furnishings for our house that it would be impossible to buy in the States for any amount of money. In addition, we have so far been able to put fifty dollars gold in savings each month. I feel that we are very fortunate to be doing that well.

I have just received your letters numbered 31 and 32 but have not received number 30. I am happy to hear such good reports on Mala's operation and I am praying that everything will be just right and her vision much improved. I have a lot of confidence in the doctor, and if he says that is just as he wants it I am sure the operation is a success. Please give her my love and all wishes for a speedy recovery.

Your letter states that things at home are improving. That is certainly good news. I hope they keep right on the up grade. You express hopes for the London Conference. It surely has gone to pot hasn't it. And the exchange yesterday was 31 7/8, thank goodness that does not affect me now other than it takes fewer Hong Kong Dollars to make fifty gold for savings. I am interested in all the news you send me. The paper here is purely British and we get only the British point of view. Also there is very little of the United States, only that which concerns other countries. I read every bit of the paper each day now and am thoroughly interested in everything going on. I pounce on every scrap of news you send with delight. We cannot buy any magazines here-- can only get them by subscription. However, many of our friends here have subscriptions and pass the magazines around after they have read them, so we are doing pretty well.

I am sure that we will be going down to Hong Kong with Mrs. Deeds to see that she gets on the boat, and to be of whatever help we can. Poor Jean will finally receive her present. We have been finding something nicer for her every few weeks. We now have what we think is a very nice gift and will send it without fail from the open port of Hong Kong. Will also send Mala's present. Please forgive us for being so slow. We have the presents but must be sent from Hong Kong.

We are attending a Tiffen in a Houseboat this afternoon. General Wong, the Commanding Officer of the Air Force, is the host. I wish that you all might go with us. When we return won't we have a million stories to tell. Believe me it is necessary to live in another country to appreciate your own. I find that I am often anxious to return to the good old States. I wouldn't stay out here for the rest of my life for anything.

We are all well and getting along better than we have any reason to expect these days. I hope that the price of oranges is still going up and that is everything is better for you. It is a great old world isn't it?

Jeanette sends all her love.

Love,

Stu.