Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1901-11-15
wu's EuLocY OF Il.
Chinese Minister'S Tribute to
the Deceased viceroy.
WAS oH1HA's GRAND OLD MAN.

WAC 6AN UIU MAN.
Only One Who Could Deal With
Problems Constantly Arising In Hi.
Country, Declares WI Ting Fang.
Incidents Connected With Earl Lis
Visit to This Country-Plant. Tree
at General Grants Tomb-visit to
Mrs. Grant.
WI Ting Fang, the Chinese minister
at Washington, was greatly shocked
when he heard of the death of Ii Hung
Chang.
"Oh, this is too bad, too bad!" he ex-
claimed. ut will be a frightful blow
to China. 1 hope the news is not true.
hope Ii Hung Chang will be left to
serve his country many years, for his
country needs him now il she ever
needed him, brilliant as have been his
services in the past.
"For more than forty years." said
Minister WI. Iii Hung Chang has
been in the service of the Chinese gov
eminent. He is the Grand Old Man
of u country. There is none like him,
and it will be generations before an
other will come up to take his place.
II know the man. served under
him. was taught by him. He rec
commended me for promotion and put
me in line for the advancement that
finally sent me as minister to the Unit
ed States.
ellis experience was vast, and in all
China II Hung Chang alone of all our
statesmen has been the one man who
could deal with the problems constant
~ arising in the field of diplomacy, our
civil relations with others and the con
duct of army and navy. He has
been progressive and yet conservative.
The new China of today is the result
of his genius. his foresight and his in
domitable will. All the sensible re-
forms inaugurated in our country are
| due to him.
HE built the first railroad, the first
telegraph He opened the first mine
that gave promise of developing the
mineral industries Of the empire-the
Kaipin mine.
"He originated the modern navy, the
modern drill and improved tactics in
the army. 1t was Ii Hung Chang who
employed General Gordon.
"1n short. 1t was Ii Hung Chang
who did everything to make China pro-
gressiye, and It was his will and his
will alone, aided by q few who believe
in his genius, that pressed upon China
the few modern ideas she has accepted
and made it possible for her to shake
off some of the barnacles that chung to
her for many centuries.
Iii Hung Chang had the foresight to
see the superiority of foreign appli-
ances, apply them to his own coun-
try and use them to the advancement
and betterment Of his WI people. He
would have done more and would have
made China q powerful nation and Il
| strong people had it not been for the
| opposition of certain members of the
imperial cabinet, who, looking ut things
through the narrow light they possess
ed, saw only harm in the progressive
ideas of LII Hung Chang, who knew
the world and realized the danger that
would come to China if Mt any time
China should be brought into conflict
with the outer world. Of which u
people knew so little.
"He was opposed to the war with
Japan because he knew what the re-
suit would he. Ii Hung Chang had
suppressed native rebels successfully,
but he knew what it meant to cope
with Il superior force. His advice was
not needed, and when the disaster came
he was Inundated and made to suffer
because the advice he had given had
not been needed.
Ills death will be bad for China.
She needs his advice and counsel more
now perhaps than ever before"
Ii Hung Chang visited the United
States in 1898 and was the recipient
of many courtesies. official and other
wise. One of the notable incidents of
his visit was the planting of IL jingko
tree. Il native of China and Japan. ut
the tomb of General Grant. in River
side park. in. New York. The tree is
still hourishing there. Its queer palm
shaped leaves without Il rib are famii-
ldf 10 IuOSe WHO. HollCe tItcS, loI IL
grows readily in our climate. Perhaps
the extreme simplicity of General
Grants manners touched Il kindred
chord. for, Notwithstanding the elabo-
rate etiquette of China which Ii Hung
always followed. he was a man of very
simple habits.
During Ii Hung Changes sojourn to
this country he called upon Mrs. U. S.
Grant, who has thus referred to the
visit:
THE visit of his excellency Ii Hung
Chang to me was the renewal of an ac-
quaintance made in China when Gen
eral Grant and l We're travelling around
the world. Ii Hung Chang always had
the warmcst admiration and friend.