Waterbury Democrat., 1901-03-28
IT HUNG CHANG.
The Career of the Machiavelli of Chi
 nese Diplomacy.

4AA 1A V4NN S&AkA&NNs The Career of the Machiavelli of Chi
 nese Diplomacy.
 The peace negotia tions at Pekin call to mind the inexperience of the minis ters who are negotiating with the Chi nese statesman. The American minis ter has had about three years of con tact with the east; the British minis ter has been in Pekin less than year; the Russian minister has been at his post shorter time than the American, and the French representative is a novice in dealing with the Celestial.
 Opposed to these keen but new dlplo- matists sits the wrinkled veteran, Earl Ii Hung Chang, with his associate, Prince Ching. Of Lis 7S years, the last forty have been largely spent in crossing swords with European and American representatives of state craft. This prince of Oriental word- warriors has fought with Sir Frederick Bruce, Sir Thomas Wade, Sir Harry s. Parkes, Sir John Walsham, Sir Nich- olas O'Connor, Sir Claude Macdonald, Hon Anson Burlingame, Hon George E. Seward, Hon Charles Denby. NM. Rochechouart, Patenotre. Fournier, Co., godan, Marquis Ito, Count Muravieff, and scores of other first class diplo- matic 1ances.
 He knows every thrust and every parry; he has hunted out ever seam in the armor, and he can cut into every unprotected, vital point. He has come into the negotiation to represent the humiliated power; but there Is reason to believe that he is better prepared to fight a losing battle than would be all his opponents combined. The white emissaries have shown by two great failures that they are not yet prepared to cope with the yellow man. In September, 1898, they knew nothing of the ''coup detat'' until it was | passed; and they, by doing nothing, permitted the reign of reaction, con- servatism and terror to gain headway. | In 1900 they refused to believe that | this reaction and conservatism were | eliminating. Not until the boxers inn prisoned them in Pekin did they real | iZe that there was q boxer uprising. | They are now backed by force, that is l their hope of success-l say 1t with all | respect. Given fair field and no | favor. Earl Ii would deftly set them | to quarreling as to who should lead the 1 assault, who should have his hat coat 1 and shoes. with the result that he would remain intact, while they would wonder how it all happened.
 | Earl Iii is striking, if not great, | figure. He is fascinating study. The foreign diplomacy of China, for forty l years has been his. In Chinese poli- tics he is past master. He came into prominence as governor of kiangsu, in the sixties. This is the province of which Soochow is the capital, and Shanghai and Ranking are the com
 mercial and literary metropoi. Be cause of his services in suppressing the Taiping rebellion, a vaster struggle than our civil war, he was made | guardian of the heir apparent-a posi- ton similar to that recently held by Prince Tuan-was granted the yellow jacket, and was made assistant grand councillor of the empire.
 In 1868 he stepped into viceroya1- ty. and, with Wuchang as his capital. ruled over Hupei and Human, as Chang Chin Tung is now doing. Imperial commands took him from his post. and at the head of his armies he put down febellions in the northern provir 'es of | Shantung and ShanSi, nd was made full member of the grand council of state. In 1875 he was made metro politan viceroy and moved from Wu- chang to Tien Tsin. This position cor responds locally to the governorship of the Empire state, but nationally it is of much more importance, for the Met 1 ropolitan viceroyalty under Ii Hung Chang has assumed first place in in- | now in despair, now in defiance, for over twenty years intrusted its knotty problems to him. The viceroyalty~ of Chihli assumed greater and greater importance. although Lis predecessor was none other than Marquis Tseng. Ii was created a noble of the first class, and appointed to take the initia- tive in foreign negotiations.
 We find him displaying q profusion of talents. On one occasion he pub licly worshiped a snake; on another he ordered a modern fleet. He battled with diplomats, was snubbed by the palace clique, and after China was de- feated by Japan. in what was his war, was bidden to humble himself and plead for peace. The war was over in 1895. and in 1896 he attended the cor onation of the cZar, after which he made a tour of the world. Back in China again he was degraded. then promoted, and finally seated in the chief grand secretary's chair. Playing too much into the hands of Russia (for moneyD he was removed from the Tsungli Yamen in 1898. A year later
 1899, Ii was made viceroy at Canton
 from which post he was called to his present positions of viceroy of Chihli and peace cOmmissioner.-Rober E. Lewis in March Forum.