San Francisco Call, Volume 104, Number 179, 26 November 1908 — PRINCE AND ENVOY START EAST TODAY [ARTICLE]

PRINCE AND ENVOY START EAST TODAY

Royal Chinese Party Abandons * Plan to Cross Continent by Special Train

Three Days of Mourning Over, Visitors Cease Prayer in Six Companies* Chambers

Special Commissioner Tong Shao'Yi, who is the. bearer of a message of thanks to the department of state in Washington for the remittance of $11.000.000 from the boxer indemnity, will leave with Prince Tsal Fu and their retinue for the east this morning. .The arrangements calling for a special train have been abandoned and the whole party will travel on the Overland, leaving at 10 o'clock in the morning.

The visitors kept to their apartments most of the day. A visit to Yerba Buena island was contemplated to pay the respects of the party to Captain E. W. Eberle and his brother officers, but the inclemency of the weather compelled the cancellation of the plans. .

The three days of mourning, to which the Chinese were bound by custom and official pronouncement, are over, and the royal suite <did not visit the chambers of the Six Companies yesterday to mourn. Owing to their Inability to obtain white buttons for their caps, the members of the party wore no but-? tons on their caps, but will after 27 days of mourning place a black button on their caps in place of the usual; red one.

Commissioner Tong Shao Vi regards lightly the reports that there has been rioting in Nanking:. He has received no Information from the home government on the subject, and argues if the situation were as serious as reported ha would have been notified by cablegram.

To"ng has taken a house in Washington which he will make his home upon his arrival until March. • The message of thanks will bo tendered directly to President Roosevelt according to the present program. Wu Ting Fang will join the party on this occasion.

Mun Yew Chung expressed his regret yesterday that. he had been mentioned as the probable successor of Wu Ting Fang. He said that so far as he knew the gossip was wholly unfounded.