The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-04-07
III HUNG CHANG.
Sketch OF the Career OF the Bismarck OF
China

blood, and has always been Identified win
the native party. lie was among the
first I'm the three successive literary ex-
aminations, and in 1871 was enrolled IN
the Hanlin, or imperial academy the
highest degree i'm the empire. lie WIS an
oificial ni the imperial printing once
when the TAPPING rebellion broke Out III
JS5l-a CONFUSION that almost h'iaen 'le
empire. cost 2OOOO,0OO lives and 3,VvJO0v,Vo
taels. and took thirteen years to suppress.
In this trouble Ii became prominent.
First called into the field TO act on the
staff of the gencralissimo, he was IN the
last years Of the war the governor OF
Kiarg-Su, which, with She-Kiang, con-
stituted the most important Held OF opera-
tons.
LIZ appreciation OF Western military
skill was shown in the part he took IN
the organization and use of the Ever
Victorious Force" Chinese legion arm
ed. drilled and disciplined according TO
European fashion, led first by the Amerl-
can. Ward. who recruited the corps
and afterward by the famous Hoi1on'
Under both these leaders II Fought WIN
great valor and success, and was prime
factor in the overthrow OF the al-flhgs'
The last campaign, which resulted IN the
capt,Ire OF Nankin. the rebel capital. was
conducted by III in person. He had de-
veloped as much genius in the field as ne
had shown In council.
From the very close Of the Tai-Ping
war LII Hung Chang began that persist
emit labor for the adoption of the arts
and sciences Of the West which mas Iur
nished the keynote of his life. He Mt
once began TO memorabilia the throne for
the creation Of an army and navy upon
the European model. lie found hearty
s,ipporter in Prince Kung, but an uncom-
promising opponent In the senior EN-
press Dowager. as also in the Board
of Censors, who were saturated with the
ancient Chinese traditions.
In 1870 Ii was promoted TO the Nlceroy-
eltv of Chilli. q province Of 20,O0ooo0 in
habitants, and made senior grand secre-
tarv of state which gave him direct SUI
nervision of international questions. The
ewes of foreign powers had now begun
TO turn to him as best fitted TO inspire
the foreign and domestic policy Of China,
so far as one man could move the machi-
merry of an enormously cumbersome sys-
TEN. IL was by LIS authority That thirty
Chinese boys were sent for education, IN
1872. to the United States, and that the
Tnng-Wan-Kwa College was established
AT Pekln. under Or. NJ. II. =. Martin,
with the help Of Prince Kung. The nu-
cleus of this as a training school for IN
ierpreters already existed. 1t was now
made a college for training in the arts
and sciences of the West under an able
| faculty.
Lii availed himself of the Russian war
scare of 1880 to give his plans a great inn
petlls He was the authoritative lead
| er of the peace party, ana IL was with
difficulty that he prevented China from
rushing into a disastrous war. His ar
gument was not merely that the army
and navy We're not htted 10 meet the
forces of Western power but that the
int q
tending over an immense area made the
transmission of intelligence tedious and
difficult. The telegraph was advocated
as a factor OF war power Imperial au-
thOrizatiOn was given, and the work was
pressed with extraordinary VigOr. me
system now has network OF more than
10 600 miles. with his agitation for the
telegraph Ii began to work for railroads
In the empire, but the opposition from
all classes was overwhelming. A short
line had been built by foreign capital in
1876 from Shanghai TO Woo-Sung, but this
was bought and dismantlcd the next year
by the government ii quietly began a
propaganda among the high officials, ana
Prince Kung quickly acceded TO his views.
The Viceroy instgated various memorials
10 the throne which were followed by
others by himself.
While following up this agitation Ii
was active I'm remOdeling the army ana
navy. I'm establishing arsenals and dock
yards. military and naval colleges, ana
in importing experts in the various sci
entfic professions MS instructors and lead
ers i'm the new movement. As admins
traitor of foreign affairs his constant pol
icy was peace. even at the price of con-
cession, so that the empire should have
no break I'm her course of internal devel-
opment. Ths various imbr0gllcs with
Russia. Japan and France were settled
without resort to arms. except in the case
of the Formosa war with France I'm 1sS4-5.
This nominally ended with a victory for
the French, las crafty diplomacy left
the victOrs with scarcely "a shred OF honor
or advantage.
The army of North China began to be
armed with Remington breach-loaders
in 1876. At the oiltf -eak Of the present
war there were 10000 men equipped with
the most modern weapons and differed
by Germans. or by Chinese trained In the
military colleges, of which there are
three-at Tien-Tsin, Fuchan and Shang-
hal. In 1877 Ii, as administrator of the
navy, bought four ironclads. which had
Just been built in England for the royal
navy. but had been rejected as not up TO
the standard in speed. From that begin
ming the Victroy built up navy which.
before the battle of Yalu last September,
was supposed to contain some OF the most
effective fighting ships in the world.
IL was not until 1888 that an active be-
ginning was made in RAILROAD building.
A small road. which had been operating
as a tramway from the Kai-Ping coal
mines to tidewater. was equipped with
steam, and II was so successful that IL
was extended. other lines hae been
projected and partly completed. Two
large and well equipped steel plants have
been established at Hankow, on the Bes-
semer and Siemens- Martin methods. Ii
has completely won over to his position
as regards the extension Of the railroads
the chief officials of the empire. LIS pol
icy has been to build slowly and with
Chinese capital, in order to avoid the
incubus of a foreign debt. Joint stock
companies have been formed under the
Viceroy's encouragement for various en-
terprises such as silk, cotton. wooden.
glass and iron manufactures, and Chi
nese bankers had begun 10 learn and fol-
low the methods OF eastern finance as APP
piled TO industry.
All this awakening has been mainly
the work OF La Hung Chang He opposed
the war with Japan. feeling that 1t would
interrupt and endanger his plans for the
empires enlightenment. and ii Is said
that he has been lukewarn in lis support
which, no doubt accounts for the fire.
quent rumors OF indsgnities heaped upon
him by the Emperor. as well as for his
reported present dismissal from the COM
mand of the Chinese forces. After the
CHINESE sustained several defeats II WAS
rumured that Ii had fallen into disgrace
w1t1s<ho Emperor. aud had been deprived