The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-28
CHINA'S FOREIGN DESK
Slight knowledge Of the Mandarins
Concerning the Outside World.
Prince Kung, Who Established the
Tsung-Ii-Yamcn, ImpeIIed by n De-
sire More TO Impede Than TO Ex-
pedite Business with Other Nations
Lack of knowledge

1t Is only natural. considering the Chi
nese contention. officially stated by Prince
Kung in 1860. that there Is but one En-
peror who rules over all lands that any
| administrative provision for dealing with
foreign countries as equals is Of suisse
quent origin. China. indeed, had colonial
oflce-the lifanyuen-not, however, one of
the six boards. and England, France, Ger
many. and the other powers had long been
inscribed on its books as mere vassals and
dependencies.
But the capture of Pekfn changed such
! humiiiating procedure; 10 meet the neces-
sites OF foreign intercourse under new
conditions new tribunal was called into
existence. and upon. II was bestowed, at
Prince kuEg's suggestion the name of
Tsung-li-Yamen. 1t was regarded by the
mandarinate as an evolution from the
lifanyuen. the second syllable in the title
OF the new Foreign Office signifying control,
and serving thus to connect it with the
old department in a fashion soothing to
Chinese pride. II began with 10 nigh pre-
tensions. either as to numbers or prestige,
although Prince Kung himself, the brother
OF the Emperor became its first president.
Under him in 1851 were only three Minis
tiers. and the accounts OF some Of their
early interviews with the 'barbarians''
ing. An instance of an ordinary Interview
between the mandarins and foreign en-
issary is furnished in the report Of Mr.
tafterward Sir Harry Parkes to Sir Hope
Grant:
Mandarins-state the name of your head
man.
Answer-which one do you mean. the
ambassador, general. or admiral?
Mandarins tangrily)-You have no such
-r.xa- No.
titles. Give US the name Of your head man.
Answer-Whlch one?
Mandarins-The head of your soldiers.
Answer lin English)-Lieutenant General
Sir Hope Grant.
Mandarins-What2
Answer Tin English)-Lieutenant General
Sir Hope Grant.
Mandarins-Say something we can I'M
derstand.
Answer am obliged to use English
terms. as you Will not let me give you
these in Chinese.
They here attempted to write down in
Chinese sounds Lieutenant General Sir
Hope Grant, but not succeeding. they
asked the name Of another head man. An
swer Tin English, Ambassador Extraordi-
nary the Earl of Elgin. Finding it equally
impossible TO write this dawn in English.
they told me 1 might revert to Chinese
names and titles, and / then gave them
those of the ambassador and the COM
manders i'll chief.
But the assumption by Prince Kung OF
an entirely different attitude soon modified
the supercilious zeal Of the mandarinate,
and the example of the more or less en-
lightened Ministry Of the new Tsung-li-
Yamen quickly spread to other DEPART
ments of the Government. The new For
eign Office began to show speedy growth
until II now counts regularly nine or ten
Ministers and as many under secretaries
or heads of departments. Under each OF
these chiefs of departments are numerous
assistants, not to mention scores of clerks
and eopyists, who are not in the line OF
promotion. 1t would not be rash asser-
ton to say that the Tsung-li- Yamen holds
within It's walls the most enlightened, the
most progressive class, mandarins and
clerks to be found not merely In Pekin,
but throughout the whole middle king
dom. In the first place. the mere fact of
being candidate for entry into this
branch of the Chinese public service is suf-
fcient to prove the possession OF qualities
the very reverse Of timidity and narrow
mindedness.
TT is dangerous to have anything TO do
with foreign affairs is an expression one
often hears on the lips of young scholar
of the second or third degree VINO seeks to
enter Government service as apprentice.
u
or disagreeableness promotion CONES more
quickly in this department than in the
army, the navy, the customs, or any of the
six boards. In ten or twelve years the
scholar finds himself drafted off as project
or taotai Of some distant province. Or he
may be despatched to one Of the various
legations as secretary, there to be pro-
NOTED to a chargeship or ministry. as his
merits or influence entitle him. Such was
fba 90 To- I,ph W n
bIossnmed forth as Sir Chih-chen Lofeng-
luh. he going through the prescribed
course at Tsung -Yamen before attract
ing the attention of the great Ii Hung
Chang, who. on his tour through Europe,
attached him to his person as secretary
1t has been surmised and certainly not
without reason, that the establishment Of
the Tsung-Ii- Yamen was due to desire on
the part of Prince Kurg and his associates
to impede in formal fashion, rather than TO
expedite foreign business. Foreign pow
ers. in the early years of the yamen. were
inclined to be a little dictatorial, and It
was a common saying among the man
darins: well, what have France and
England ordered China to do next?"
The motto of the yamen has been. go
slowly. The members have been made 10
feel that they stood between Europe and
China. At first their ignorance was so ex-
cessive that il rendered them cautious in
executing even the slightest formalities,
fearful that the foreigners would overreaeh
them. Perhaps not least Of the singulari-
ties of Chinese government is the way the
Tsung-li-Yamen recruits its membership.
as explained by Cheng Lin. one of the
mandarins. AS an expedient for ''averting
external opposition by substituting inter-
nal friction" it deserves celebrity.
you know" once said this member OF
the yamen. that the plans of the depart
ment sometimes go down before the force
of outside antagonism \ clever censor or
powerful Viceroy gets the ear of the En-
peror, who forthwith quashes our wisesr
schemes. In such a case Prince Kung has
a way of his own to deal with the diff
Guilty. He memoriaIizes the throne to give
his opponent a chair in this council for
foreign affairs. The prince knows that,
once there he will not be slow to find out
that His Highness' policy is the only pos
sible way of getting along with foreign
nations. For that reason. and no other,
were Mao and Shen brought into this
yamen.''
OF the two men named the first rose
from a vice presidency in the censoTate to
be president of the board of civil office; the
other from the governorship of Shan-si
rose to be grand secretary, with the title
Of Chung-tang After their entrance into
the Tsung H. Yamen it was, of course. nee
essary to impart to them a little element
airy instruction in foreign relations. begin
ming with geography. Geography is not the
strong point of the members OF the Tsung
li-Yamen-indeed, was their weakest point
until very recently. A very little of it
went a long way. On account of his kaowl-
edge in this direction Ex-Governor of Flu
,ien Sen Kiv,1 was created Minister of