Mr. Allen to Mr. Sherman.

No. 54. Diplomatic]

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt, on yesterday, of your dispatch, No. 25, of November 30, and to append confirmation of my telegram of last evening in reply to the last-named dispatch, regarding the matter of the Imperial title assumed by His Majesty.

In addition to the telegram from the Czar to “His Majesty the Emperor of Korea,” mentioned in my No. 50, December 23, the Russian chargé d’affaires, formally communicated to this Government, on the 31st ultimo, the fact that his Government had recognized the Imperial title of the ruler of Korea. I had previously informed you in my No. 34, November 13, that the Japanese Government had made this recognition, and as you close your dispatch No. 25, with the instruction for me to “at once report” to the Department the fact of such recognition by any other Government, I thought best to telegraph you, especially so, as, if the Government of the United States intend to take favorable action on this subject, you may not care to be the last to do so.

I have, etc.,

Horace N. Allen.