The Southern herald., 1900-03-09
ONE OF CHINA's BIG MEN.
Chang Chih Tung. Who Il Held In
Higher Repute Than Ii
Hung Chang.

The outside world regards Ii hung
Chang as the foremost representative
of China, but many Of the educated
class in that country have given high
er place TO Chang Chih Tung. long a
foremost statesman and author, and
vieeroy of the two great central prov
inces of Human and Hupeh. Perhaps
Chang is nol so astute and able as Ii,
but his ideas, though advanced and pro-
gressiye, find greater favor among the
intellectual classes o! the Chinese. Ii
representa- stheeomparatively small class
that favors western nations and the
introduction of their ideas into China.
Chang is more cautious and eonserva-
tive, though he is far in advance of the
ultra-Chinese party who believe that
their empire is the greatest country on
earth and that China has nothing to
learn from the rest of the world.
Chang believes that Chinese civiliza-
tion is the best and he is a devout dis
ciple of the doctrines of Confucius, but
he also believes that China may learn
from others and favors the adoption of
many foreign ideas on commerce and
science. To this extent he has use for
the teachings of the western nations,
but no further. He wishes 10 educate
the Chinese to develop the immense re-
sources of their country themselves.
lie wants foreign ideas, but not for
eign superintendent.
Chang is practically carrying out his
ideas as far as be is able to do so. 1t
was he who inaugurated western meth
DDS of iron working and established
blast furnaces, steel works and the ar
senal at Hanyan on the lower Yangste.
IT was he who built the large cotton
mills at his capital city. Wuchang,
which with Hanyan and Hankow are
the greatest Yangste cities and form
the largest center of population in
China. In these works. that have cost
an enormous amount of money, Chang
Chih Tung is developing his notion that
the natives themselves should have con-
troll, though a few foreigners are EN-
ployed as heads Of departments.
According to Lord Charles Beresford
the result has been very unsatisfactory,
The iron works cost originally $780,
coo and have been in operation eight
years, but last year the output was only
Is tons of pig iron and so tons Of steel
a day, and the rails turned out for the
Chinese railroads were of poor quail
ity. The gun output at the arsenal is
also very small In all these works the
management is extravagant, expensive
machinery is misused or not used at
all, and the enterprises have been a
constant financial drain, though they
might be made very successful. Chang
stoutly opposes the placing of CONNER
cial or industrial enterprises under the
management of foreigners. but his idea
OF using western methods and machin-
cry under native control has not yet
been a success.
Though Chang has his limitations as
a reformer and publicist. his books and
official acts show that his tendencies are
very progressive and it may be that
China will advance more rapidly under
the more conservative regime he ad-
vocates than by pursuing a policy of
radical innovation. He opposes, for
example, the ancient custom of binding
the feet of women. He wishes TO do
away with competitive examinations
on the old Chinese classics and desires
TO introduce modern ideas and partic-
ularly modern science into the Chinese
courses Of study. He says each prov
ince should have a university, each
prefecture a college, and each county a
day school. If funds cannot be raised
otherwise for this purpose he would
seize the Buddhist and Taois monas-
teries and devote all their wealth TO edu-
cational uses; but he wishes the Chi
nese and not foreigners 10 have charge
of all educational interests.
He has no faith in Buddhism or Tao.
ism, which, he says, are decadent, and
he does not believe Christianity will
ever have a profound influence upon
his people. His faith rests upon Con
fucianism. and he wishes to have the
ancient religion adapted to modern
conditions, and then he thinks it will
give China all the stimulus she needs
to place her in the first rank of modern
nations. He also advocates a well.
drilled army of 100000 men, and a navy
of 50 battleships.
Chang Chih Tung is said to be the
only viceroy of the IS sprovinces who has
not used his office to feather his own
nest. He is the one honest provincial
official who has rot diverted the inn
perial revenues to his own profit. He is
worthy of the admiration of the peo-
pies of other nations, because he is a
thorough patriot and is working for
the good of his people. His methods
may not fully succeed and may have tc
be modified, but his IDEAS are broad
minded; and though more foreign aid
may be needed to carry them out than
Chang admits, they are undoubtedly
along the line of China's best and most
stable development.-N. Y. Sun.