The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-06-02
WI TING-FANG.
Novelty of Him at Washington-His
IntuitiVe Sympathy
:. a. Coolidge in Ainslee s.

l.. y. Coolidge in Ainslee's
Little was known about Minister WI
70 indicate that his career in Washington
would differ materially from those that
had gone before. The brief introduction
by Minister DENLY, however contained
three specifications which were encour-
aging, to say the least He had been ad-
mitted to the bar in London: ne pad serv-
ed the ex-vlceroy, Ii Hung Chang, at
Ilentsin; he spoke English perfectly.
Ihese qualifications presumed more or
less contact with Western IDEAS and
gave promise OF a capacity to deal I'M
Outstanding with American affairs But
mat the new minister Was to leap at
bound into a position Of diplomatic in
fluence hardly equaled by any of the rep
resentatives Of the European powers
was not dreamed of any more than it
China would eliminate speedily in such
way as to entaDgle the whole civilized
world, and give scope for the highest di-
plOmatic genius
ed this, but WI Ttng-fang is the most
CXtraordinary person who ever came to
lis out of the East. He is one of the
1ndiVidauls-rare III any country--Wh D :
intelligence is universal in it's range. he
is a man of the world in all that the
phrase implies. There is no company of
men or women among who he would not
be at home. His mind plays easily and
swiftly. He is quick Of apprehension
and speedy In response. SagacioV5, wilt
ty, astute, discerning and cathode In
sympathy, MS aim QaS Deen TO learn the
ways of the country and adapt himself
to them. He is an untiring student of
American literature and customs. He
reads the newspapers religiously, and has
an intimate acquaintance with topics of
the day. He is fond OF travel. and likes
to meet all kinds of people. He sees
everybody who calls to see him at the
legation TO matter how unimportant the
person or trihing the errand.
He is democratic in his ways, and
fond of good-fellowship. But every per
son he meets is specimen to be studied.
Like Lii Hung Chang and like many other
Cinnamon of the class. he is a living -
,terrogation point. Just how far his in
cessant flow of questions is due to a real
desire to learn, and just how far 1t Is
due to a determination that no embar-
RAISING question shall be put to him it is
impossible to say. Nobody has ever yet
been able to treat him to dose of his
own medicine. He has a genius for fenc-
ing and parryng inquiries which is COM
parable only to the ingenuity he displays
in framing inquiries of his own. No one
who has not experienced his running fire
of questions can realize what a relentless
cross examination means. And no one
that has not undertaken to reply to his
searching queries can appreciate how
d1fhcult 1t Is to explain satisfactorily to
all allen Intelligence conditions which
to the ordinary American mind are mat
tiers of course His logic is irresistible.
His face is a study in physiognomy. 1t
lightens with intelligence and humor,
ana yet JDer6 Is a nrm set In the fea-
lures, and n suggestion of sternness in
the eye which betokens sturdy thinking
and determination. One feels, in talking
with him in his lightest moods, that in
other moods he can be cruelty seve~e:
that, however gracious and delightful ~
may be, he is not person to be trifed
with, that his lip is as quick to scorn as
to Jest, and that his voice is no better
fitted for fiattery than for command.
physically, he is of medium height
and of medium build, a tritie stouter,
perhaps than the average OF his race,
and clothed with muscles worthy of an
athlete. There are few women who
would not envy him the perfect teeth,
white, hard and small, which he dis
plays as often as he smiles He Is grace
full in his movements, and carries him
self always with a dignity that is en-
HANGED by his flowing robes Of silk His
manner of life, to all outward appear
ances, is that of any well-born Ame1i-
can. There is hardly an Oriental sug-
gestion in the furnishings of the hand
some house in a fashionable quarter Of
the town, which he engaged for legati n
purposes when he first came to Wash
ington. Nine. WI, whom he married
twenty years ago In China, and who
looks for all the world as if she had
stepped out of a Chinese picture, pays
calls and receives them as regularly as
any other woman of her station She
attends the theater with him and FREE
quents public places. His eight-year-
old boy plays with American youngsters,
and is getting an American education
all the other children in their studies"