Immediately after the capture of the Imperial City by the Allied forces, a conference of Generals was held. All attended, with the exception of the Russian General. The decision was arrived at not to burn the Imperial City, until communication had been made on the subject with their respective home authorities. Their task, they agreed, had so far been accomplished without that last act.
The Russian General represented to them that he could not agree, since his country had declared war with China,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.