The times., 1897-04-25

| His eXoellency WI Ting Fang, the new
| Chinese minister, arrived in Washington
| yesterday on the :25 train over the Penn
| sylvania road, six days out of San Fran
| people or the attaches to the legation
| there are twenty two, and of the servants
| there are fifteen. There are three children
| in the party also. They came in great
| pomp on special cars, one for Minister
WI himself alone, and one for the remain
| der Of the party.
Minister WI and his entire suite went
| Immediately to the A rlington Hotel, where
they will remain for several days, until
the former minister, Yu, departs. The
plans OF the new minister are not as yet
formed very definitely. 1t is thought that
the legation may be moved from the large
stone castle OIL Fourteenth street to some
house further in town. Secretary Ho Vow
told reporter of The Times last night
that Minister WI had heard that the build
ing on Fourteenth street is draughty and
cold in winter
Minister WI went out TO the Chinese
Legation yesterday afternoon to visit
his predecessor. He made long call
and 1T is presumed talked over this country
and China's relations with it, as well
as the question of whether he would
best give up the present legation build
ing or not.
The first business of the new minister
will be the appointment of the various
attaches and consuls in this part of the
world, over which he has control. Several
of the young men OF his suite are to fill
these places. He has not yet decided
where they are each to go, and will give
the matter a good deal of consideration
In the next few weeks. 1t is said that his
first secre tary, Mr.. Ho Vow, will proba-
bly, go as consul-general to San Francisco
Other places to be filled are the charge
daffaires at Madrid, the consulgeneral-
ship at Havana, and the consul at New
York.
Another matter which Will be likely to
engage the attention of the new Chinese
representative will be the relations be
tween his country and Mexico. A treaty
has been long under consideration be-
tween the tw countries, and Minister Yu
has very nearly, if not quite, completed
the negotiations. Minister wu will take
the matter up where his leftit
in the annex of the Arlington. The min
lister himself has several, and his first
secretaries the next best. For three or
four hours after the train arrived yes
terday afternoon drays were bringing the
baggage of the party TO the hotel There
were several wagonloads, and 400 pieces
in all, ranging in size from that OF
bandbox to that of a Saratoga trunk. II
hn in no
belongings OF Minister WI are varied in
teresting and picturesque. 1t is probable
that no wish in the mind of any one of
the large group that watched the unload
ing of this baggage was ever stronger
than the wish to see the inside OF some
OF the many odd-shaped boxes and bales.
and cans and baskets, red and blue. AMI
purple and yellow, that were slowed
away in the Chinese ministers rooms
They contained many-hued changes of
clothing for His Excellency WI, and his
secretaries and their ladies and children,
andthe rare foods tina tthe party has brought
with it from home, among other things,
The cook took a large interest In half OF
the bundles that were brought, and it may
be presumed that they all containe ed edibles.
The Chinese gentlemen are extremely
fastidiOus as to their food. The meals of
the party are served to them in private
dining-room at the Arlington. The tive
cooks are given part of the great Arling-
ton range TO do their mysterious business
on, and the whole party eats what they
provide Immediately after they arrived
at the hotel yesterday several of them
went into the general dining-room at the
Arlington and had lunch, for it had been
some time since they had had breakfast, but
it will be the last meal that they will take
there.
Mr.. Wu's most used costume is trousers
of lightest figured lavender silk, long
gown of robins egg blue, and an upper
tunic of apple green. He wears skull
cap with a cluster of diamonds in the
center.
Minister WI is fifty-four years old and
is q typical-looking ChnauIan in appear
ance. He wears a mustache and guatee.
He was educated in London and admitted
TO the English bar. and then went back TO
China and began the practice of law in
Hong Kong before the English court. He
was made magistrate in Hong Kong, end
was also member of the legislative coun-
ellis there After that he went into the
Chinese government service.
He was builder and manager of China's
only railway, which he constructed ten or
twelve years ago Soon after he became
legal adviser to Ii Hung Chang, He was
one of the embassy which negotiated the
treaty between Japan and China. Minis
ter WI is a man DARN of the second rank
next to that of Ii Hung Chang.
The principal secretaries of the new lega-
tion will be 10 Vow, Ii Ching and Sben
Tung. Mr.. Yo How is brother-in-law of
the minister, his excellency having mar
ried Ho Vow IS sister. Ho Vow is twenty
seven years old and has studied law fifteen
years. He speaks English excelently and
is a most intelligent man. Ii Ching Hsu
is nephew of Ii Hung Chang and son
of the ex-yiceroy of Canton.
The ladies of the party are Mrs. WI,
Mrs. Ho, and the wife of the first seere-
tary, and Mrs, Shen, the wife of the sec
ond secretary. Mrs. WI is Cantonese
lady of high birth and has never before
been away from China. Her feet are barely
three inches long, which attests to the
high rankin which she was born. She does
ont speak English. The minister also
brings young son. WI Chu, a brigbtyoung
fellow of eleven years.
The other attaches in the new ministers |
party are Ching Chi, Fung Wau ring, |
Chuang Hal Kwan, Show Using, Ching |