Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-10-28
II HUNG CHANG.
Traits of the "erand Old Man.
Of China.
mr.. John G. Ferguson, who is Familiar
With What IIo Writes About, Thinks
Earl Lis Too Old for tho Task Before
Him.
(san Francisco Dispatch.)

edge of men and things in the Chinese
empire. Among these is John c. Fer
susson, civil engineer, who spent
more than twenty years in the service
OF the imperial government. He was
in charge of the construction of me
HrSt railway in China which ran from
Taku up the Peiho river to large
copper mine about forty miles distant.
AL that time China had not begun to
go In for foreign improvements as She
has within the last few years. Mr. Fer
gusson found the Chinese officials quick
10 see advantages of foreign machin
cry, but they frankly admitted that the
masses were not educated to the point
or accepting the hated foreign dew
lis improvements.
Mr. FERGUSON as the manager of
large works calling for the expenditure
of much money, was brought into close
relations with various Chinese officials.
lie found the only way to secure any
results was to insist upon his own way,
and also upon rigid honesty in ac
counts. In this way 1t became nolsed
about that when he demanded supplies
or men these must be forthcoming or
he would give the indOlent tao tails no
peace until they were produced. 1t was
also found that he insisted upon hon
eSty In accounts, and therefore no
tricks to hold out commissions were
tried upon him. BY this system he Sc
officials. He knew Ii Hung Chang.
Tao Tai Sheng and several other vice
roys and governors. or Ii Hung
Chang, who now occupies so conSpicu-
Gus n position he said to-day in talking
of the outlook for a peaceful settlement
of the Chinese problem:
IS TOO OLD.
1.-THE man is too old to do any good
service for China or for the Powers.
d. ri in irf an
work before him would try the encr-
Eies and the diplomatic skill of n man
IN his prime. Besides, the foreign dip
lomats in China have no confidence in
old Ii. lie has been mixed up in SO
many scandals that no one would ac-
cept his word in regard to any mat
ter. He is a type of the Chinese OFF,
cial who finds it to his advantage to
profess admiration for foreign things,
yet who at the same time hates IIu-
ropeans because they have wrested
power and wealth from his country.
His best servicx has been the train
ing of Il number OF very able young
men for the diplomatic field. Wu
Ting Fanny. the Chinese Minister at
Washington. and Lo Feng Luh, the
Chinese Minister at London, are both
graduates of his school. They served
in his yamcn. and their reward was
high official prefcrment.
'Ine 1DlcSt OF tneSc ItOleSeS OIL olu
Ii Is Taotai Sheng, Of Shanghai.
Sheng is an unusually handsome
Chinese. with a broad, open forehead,
and he reveals few traces OF the Mon
golian except in the setting of his eyes.
He imprcSSeS you at once as Il man of
the world. His manners are exquisite,
aid his courtesy Is proverbial, but he
has been guilty of breaking many
promises, and in the cunning game OF
diplomacy he is an expert II Ii is
permitted to carry on negotiations for
the Chinese Government it will be
Sheng who will do the heavy work for
his old master. He has great capaci
ty. but his record shows that he is
absolutely without scruples, and that
his rapacity far exceeds that of the
ordinary Chinese official of high rank.
He has been exposed again and
again, but old Ii in each case has
shielded him from disgrace and ruin.
CHINESE CUNNING.
'It is impossible to convince any Chi
nese of the value OF time or honesty in
any diplomatic negotiations. Cunning
IS the chief weapon and they will at
tempt to use this in sowing discussions
among the Powers. Perhaps the
strongest card the foreign ENJOYS can
play Will be the stoppage Of the tribute
rice which at this season is-being-
brought from all parts of the empire to
the imperial granary. Without this
rice 1T would be impossible to maintain
the small army OF officials and hangers
on about the imperial court, and hence
1t would be n good stroke to tic up
these loads of tribute rice until the
government agrees to make PREPARATION
for it's recent acts. Nothing produces
greater excitement in China In official
circles than the stoppage OF the tribute
rice. Tor the yamenS contain hundreds
of officials who must be fed and to buy
this rice would require Il very long
purse.
''England's hold upon China has been
the rich trade of the Yangtse Valley,
which is worth all the rest of the en-
pire. If England can retain her grasp
on the Yangtse she can afford 10 see
large territory granted TO the other
Powers. for she will still come out the
victor. No one has any idea of the re-
sources of this great valley. whose
trade has only fairly begun to be ex-
plotted. In fact. this valley alone is
richer than the whole of South Africa
and properly handled will bring in g
much larger revenue.
EARL LIS ARMY.
when I was in China frequently
pointed out TO diplomatic officials the
folly of training the Chinese In arms
me people are good natural fighters
III they have any confidence in their
oiicers, put from the way the Chi
nese army is handled it is n won
der that any fighting can be got out
OF IT,. A governor of a province is sup
posed to maintain so many men, but
When l was in China not one of these
1eiiows. except Ii Hung Chang, ever
attempted to keep his military force In
eificlent condition. Here is the way
the thing is managed: The viceroy of
Shantung, for instance. is supposed to
nave o'ooo men under arms. He actu-
ally mas this number on the books and
q re 90.