De Lano to G. F. Seward, March 12, 1880
Mr. De Lano to Mr. Seward.
No. 155.]
Sir: I have had the honor to receive your dispatch No. 97, in which you request me to report to you such facts as I may be able to obtain, bearing upon the war power of China, including the condition of the army and navy, and of the forts, arsenals, and training establishments of my consular district.
I regret to have to say in reply that at the moment I cannot give you any reliable information on the subject. Such information, if obtained at all, must be gathered from the Chinese, and to be at all reliable must come from official sources, and the extreme reticence and suspiciousness of the officials when information on such subjects is openly sought for by foreigners render it very difficult to obtain from them any reliable data for such a report as you desire.
If later on I should obtain such information on the subject as would enable me to give you an intelligent and reliable report I shall have much pleasure in submitting one.
I have, &c.,