During this time, Tộ was further exposed to Western education by reading French language newspapers and books in addition to materials available through Chinese translation. Although many Vietnamese scholars have traditionally believed that Gauthier also took Tộ to France during 1859–60, this view has been challenged. In a 1941 article entitled "Nguyễn Trường Tộ học ở đâu?" ("Where did Nguyen Truong Study?"), Dao Duy Anh argued that there was no solid evidence for this belief except for an unofficial and unverifiable demotic script document shown to several researchers in the early 20th century by Tộ's descendants. In more recent times, the historian Truong Ba Can demonstrated that according to the files of the Foreign Missions Society's headquarters in Paris, Gauthier definitely did not venture to France during 1859–60. While these scholars refute the orthodox view that Gauthier took Tộ to France during 1859–60, it remains possible that Gauthier may have taken Tộ to Hong Kong and then sent him to France alone or escorted by another person. With the present primary sources, it was not possible for historians to determine with certainty whether Tộ visited France prior to 1867, when he traveled there as part of an official Vietnamese delegation sent by Tự Đức.