Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-07-31
WI WOULD LIKE TO STAY.
Chinese Minister Not Anxious to Re
turn to China

Chinese Minister Not Anxious to Re-
turn to China.
Washington, July 31.-Whatever may
be his official utterances, Minister WI
Ting Fang goes back to China with
some misgivings. He laughs at sug-
gestions of beheading and compulsory
suicide but his laugh is not exactly
hearty. 1t is hardly likely that he Will
come to amy such untimely end as that
suggested: but in China degradation
from political office is about as bad. Yet
many "a Chinese official has lost his pea
cock feather and his head at the same
time. and for the same reason-the
whim of the potentate.
The recall of WI Ting Fang and the
assignment of Il new and colnparatlNely
inexperienced man to this post, mall
Gates TO offices of the state department
here that the Chinese government mas
learned little by it's recent experiences
None of the men appointed to new Dup
lomatic stations is above the rank oil
the blue button which is not very
high rank. Sir Lieung Cheng Tung has
never been more than secretary OF
legation and his rank is of English be-
stowal. He was an interpreter when
stationed at the Washington legation
Mr.. Yo Now, Chinese consul general
at San Francisco, is brother-in-la OF
Minister WI Ting Fang. His recall fol-
lows. as a matter of course. MI. VOW is
a famous horse racer, and acts also as
business manager of Minister Wus
business interests.
During the boxer uprising there was
scarcely an hour when Minister WI
Ting fang did not have secret com
munications as to the status OF the
lecationers 1t will be remembered
how the cipher message from Congel
was delivered to Secretary Hay afte1
it was generally believed in this coun-
try that Conger was dead and all the
legationers had been slaughtered. A
correspondent had an experience al
that time with Mr.. WI which showed
how certain was his information. This
minister was asked how 1t could be
possible for u small band of civilians
to defend themselves for so long a
time against thousands of armed riot
ers. The minister called a secretary
and told him to explain by a diagram
the situation of the members of the
legation. and the manner in which they
had thrown up Qualifications. This was
done and the sketch was published
at the time. The facts disclosed many
weeks afterward showed that the sit
uation was exactly as Mr.. Wu's sec
rotary had described it.
Not in many years has any member
of the diplomatic corps become so
popular in the United States as Mr..
WI Ting fang. His popularity and his
notoriety began with the Grdiron club.
The newspaper men invited him to one
of their toasting dinners, and started
in to have some fun at his expense
But Mr.. WI was so good humored.
and so equal to the occasion, that he
was voted very good fellow. He
made speech which was clever and
humorous. This was the beginning
of the demand for him as a speaker.
His work during the boxer troubles
brought him before the public still
more, and he is now one of the best
advertised men in the country. He
can not begin to accept the dinner
invitations which reach him, and il
is nearly as hard to get him for a
speech making occasion, as it would
be to get the president.