The Irish standard., 1907-02-23

WdS, tnouSn-1herC always must bU
some one. It was Il man, variously
famous in this and other lands, who
before his death made the world re-
gard China in Il now aspect--Li Hung
Chang. Tho trouble between Iii and
Sir Robert amounted to nothing moro
than q, Jealousy on the part Of tho
oriental, that a foreigner should WELD
more power in his country than he
himself.
once lie Camo very near acconlplisfl-
ing Harris downfall, but in the end
l,o was routed, and Hart mounted ON
the ruins or that political conflict
stronger than he ever was before.
Whcn tho Chinese directing body,
tho Tsungl Yalnen, nado 81 treaty,
Hart was essential as part and parcel
oc 1t. When departments We're re-
, organized it was tho Irish organizer
who performed the worls; and then
when schemes We're put into operation
he superintendent them. He WIS
everywhere, always. He had under
him o. force of 5000 men, 1000 of
whom were foreigners. These men
handled the trado OF the vast empire:
facilitated commerce at the ports, coll
lcctcd customs and provided budget
moneys. They were we'll psl's, tine
foreigners especially. no Hart, the
man in the lttle office at the custom
house in PeISin, came mon from all
parts of the world. Tho Harvard
A. b.. the Oxford graduate and the
graduate OF German universities, they
all went to Hart and asked advlceand
employment. Generally ll@ gave them
both: but he kept his ideas. He put
tho young men through q. vigorous
course of procedure. made them learn
Chinese, and when they became ac-
cIinated in every particular they were
ready TO enter his service as real as
sistants. BY "a strangely fortunate
conception OF things, the Inspector
general decided that it would best all
lay suspicious of Chinese il all the
money passing through the customs
of1ice-the clearing house of the realm
should touch only Chinese hands,
Tho foreigners merely oversee the
work and help instruct the natives.
During his term as inspector gem.
eral Hart was tho most uncornpromis-
ing OF bosses. They say that Wals
lcnstein, the Catholic general in tho
Thirty Years war. never. smiled and
never made 81 friend outside Of his
army, but that his soldiers admired
him. For this they were severely dis
ciplined, but very splendidly reward
efficient administrative engines built
up in both instances one is tempted
to endorse that as the best method OF
dealing with subordinates. Hart dur
ing his long term was nowhere feared,
but always respected. He maintained
a personal watch over every part of
HIS SSSleIll Ol customs COllcCIlnR anu
later, when incorporated, banking and
postal service and general finances Of
the country. BY secret systems he
kept tabs upon everything.
This Pekin Office is the most ordi-
nary looking little thing in history;
yet there have been engineered every
scheme and plan which has played a
part Of the histor yof China TO. the
past thirty years. 1t is divided into
an outer and an inner Office. In the
days business Sir Robert used always,
to stand behind his high desk i'll the
/ outside Office and transact private
business and planning III an inner
Office.
Robert Hart, the Irish genius, finds
his consolation in the realization
that the world from which ha went
to serve another has stamped his
work with approval. His old age
shOu1d indeed he pl0rio,1s Iskh