Office of the Historian

File No. 23640/21.

Chargé Fletcher to the Secretary of State.

[Extract.]
American Legation,
Peking, March 4, 1910.
No. 1387.]

Sir: I have the honor to report that His Imperial Highness Prince T’ao, brother of the regent, commander of the imperial bodyguard, and chief of the general staff, has received imperial permission to go abroad to investigate military affairs, and will start about the 25th of March on his journey, and I inclose copy of a note from the foreign office informing me of this fact.

I have, etc.,

Henry P. Fletcher.
[Inclosure—Translation.]

The Prince of Ch’ing to Chargé Fletcher.

Foreign Office,
Peking, March 2, 1910.
No. 677.]

Your Excellency: His Imperial Highness T’ao, prince of the third rank, brevet second rank, commander of the imperial bodyguard, president of the military council, has received the imperial permission to go abroad to investigate military affairs, and will start about the middle of the second moon. I send this information, trusting that your excellency will transmit the same to the American Government.

A necessary dispatch.

(seal of the wai wu pu.)