The sun., 1902-10-19
7UlN FANG PROMOTED.
4 Few Facts About One of the Most
Remarkable Men in china.

A cable despatch to THE Sun on Saturday
from Pekin said that the Government
intended 10 appoint Tuan Fang to succeed
the present viceroy of Wuchang. which
! is the second highest Viceroyalty in the
empire and involves dealing with foreign
affairs.
Tuan Fang is in favor Of introducing
foreign influences; and with the usual
convervatism Of the Chinese Government
it In said that his appointment will be tenta-
tive at first in order that he may demon
strate his ability to fill the place" which
| probably means his willingness to act in
| accordance with the views Of the Board
Of Foreign Affairs.
When the Boxer troubles began Tuan
Fang was Governor Of Shensi, one Of the
northwestern provinces. Mr.. Nichols in
the book he has just published. Through
Hidden Shensi," tells some interesting
things about the Governor. Of whom he
learned much during his remarkable jour
ney through the northern mountains to
that province.
Tuan Fang is a Manchu and a relative
Of Prince Tuan. the bloodthirsty leader
OF the ant-foreign party at the Pekin Court
who fed to Chinese Central Asia upon
the advent of the armed forces Of the Vest
ern Powers.
When Prince Tuan at the head OF the
Boxers was supreme in the favor OF the
Dowager Empress at Pekin. Gov. Tuan
Fang received he imperial order to extermi-
nate all foreigners within his province
He was warned by the Boxer sympathizers
in Pekin that IL he did not carry out this
order his head would he the forfeit.
Tuan Fang, however. was in favor OF
| foreign influences and his reluctance to
| murder the missionaries in his province
was strengt hened by the advice OF the
best men around him, who insisted that
| TO kill these missionaries would be mur-
der; With superb moral courage. Mr..
Nichols says, Tuan Fang resolved to save
the lives OF the missionaries even at the
risk of his own.
He assembled the missionaries at Sanfu,
the capital Of Shensi, where he resided.
and then sent them in detachments under
| strong armed escorts TO a place of safety
on the road to Hankow. Some Of the
missionaries had no money to pay their
travelling expenses and funds were supplied
by Tuan Fang from his own purse.
No wonder that he j. regarded by all
foreigners in China as hero and the noblest
THE Suns despatch says that Tuan Fang
is u favorite Of the Dowager Empress
While she and the Emperor we're cxiled in
, Sianfu Tuan Fang did everything possible
to make them comfort able; and the Dow
ager Empress regarded it as contributive to
her safety that the viceroy with whom she
had taken refuge had opposed the Boxers.
whose cause she "a ,rself had championed
! About the time that the DowaRer En-
press returned to Pekn Tuan Fang was
transferred to the richer and more important
Province Of Hupeb. and II was officially an
nounoed that his promotion was due to the
fact that he had prevented the Boxers from
! numbering the missionaries: so the bread he
!, cast upon waters came back to him.
| There is no doubt tha, the present pro.
motion Of Tuan Fang will be very popular
among all foreigners in China. for they re-
! gard him as an able and steadfast friend
| Not many of the Chinese statesmen have
been popular both with the foreigners
and with the Government at Pekin; bu, il
was quite convenient for the Dowager En-
press and her advisers. when their plans
To drive foreigners out OF the country or 10
exterminatc them in il failed. to bc able
TO point to this prominent man who had
proved his friendship for the white men and
had dared to assert that their influence
would be helpful to China.