File No. 158.931/124.
The Prince of Ch’ing to the American Minister.
Peking , January 22, 1911 ,
Your Excellency: I have the honor to inform your excellency that from Harbin and other places in this country there has spread a somewhat alarming outbreak of plague and that my Government has dispatched to these places numerous medical students, specially trained in this branch, not only to take precautionary measures in regard to the disease, but also to study it wherever found.
I received yesterday from the Russian minister, Mr. Korostovetz, a memorandum making the suggestion that the Chinese Government be invited to consider the sending of foreign physicians of different nationalities, specialists in the subject of plague, to the various places where the most serious outbreaks have occurred, in order that they might arrive at the origin of the plague and report as to its progress.
The above project has for its aim the investigation of the plague by medical science and the safeguarding of the lives of the people, and my country is most desirous of taking a leading part therein. I am, therefore, communicating with the different nations to this effect, and now address your excellency with the request that an invitation be transmitted to the American Government to select and send specialists to Manchuria to the seat of the plague, to investigate the same, suggest precautionary measures and methods of cure, making full reports of the results of their work, all being for the advancement of medical science and the protection of mankind. These physicians, being sent on the invitation of the Chinese Government, will have all their traveling expenses defrayed, after their arrival in the Manchurian Provinces, by the said Government.