CODE TELEGRAM DATED OCTOBER 7, 1915, FROM CHU CHI-CHUN, MINISTER OF
    THE INTERIOR, ET ALIA, DEVISING PLANS FOR NOMINATING YUAN SHIH-KAI
    AS EMPEROR

    To the Military and Civil Governors of the Provinces:—­

    (To be deciphered with the Hua Code)

    Our telegram of the 12th ult. must have reached you by this time.

The Administrative Council, at a meeting held on the 4th inst., passed the Bill for a General Convention of the Citizens’ Representatives.  Article 12 of the Bill was amended so as to contain the following clause:—­“The Superintendent of Election may, in case of necessity, delegate his functions to the several district magistrates.”  This will soon be communicated officially to the provinces.  You are therefore requested to make the necessary preparations beforehand in accordance with the instructions contained in our telegram of the 29th September.

    We propose that the following steps be taken after the votes have
    been duly polled:—­

(1) After the form of the state has been put to the vote, the result should be reported to the sovereign (meaning Yuan Shih-kai) and to the Administrative Council in the name of the General Convention of the Citizens’ Representatives.

(2) In the telegrams to be sent by the General Convention of the Citizens’ Representatives for nominating the emperor, the following words should be specifically used:  “We respectfully nominate the present President Yuan Shih-kai as Emperor of the Chinese Empire.”

(3) The telegrams investing the Administrative Council with general powers to act on behalf of the General Convention of the Citizens’ Representatives should be dispatched in the name of the General Convention of the Citizens of the Provinces.

The drafts of the dispatches under the above-mentioned three heads will be wired to you beforehand.  As soon as the votes are cast, these are to be shown to the representatives, who will sign them after perusal.  Peking should be immediately informed by telegram.

As for the telegrams to be sent by the commercial, military, and political bodies, they should bear as many signatures as possible, and be wired to the Central Government within three days after the voting.

When the enthronement is promulgated by edict, letters of congratulation from the General Convention of the Citizens’ Representatives, as well as from the commercial, military, and political bodies, will also have to be sent in.  You are therefore requested to draw up these letters in advance.

    This is specially wired for your information beforehand.  The details
    will be communicated by letter.