The Irish standard., 1907-02-23
For Years He Has Been the Most Powerful
Man in China, More Powerful Even
Than the Dowager Empress.
All Improvements in the Chinese Empire
Made in the Last Fifty Years
Originated in His Brain.

London lore confirms tho report that
Sir Robert Hart will presently leave
China for England, there to pass the
remainder of his life. says the Boston
Republic. Merely as a news note the
report is significant, but as historical
fact it is even more vital. 1t calls at
tcntion to the most indispensable man
in tho world: u man to whom empires
and kingdoms have looked up, and
kings and potentates run Il merry race
in honoring. The biggest man in all
Asia went to China i1fty-four years
ago, an Irish Immigrant. and returns
from his position of directorgeneral
of tho Chinese imperial customs the
most endowed man in all tho uni
verse. For years he has been the most
powerful man III China, moro powerful
even than tho Dowager empress. No
treaty was signed but more his signn-
ture- or. approval; no expenditure made
without his advice; no foreign loan
contracted without his o. *, and no
improvement made anywhere in all
this broad land that originated with
out his brain. And what is stranger
than all, he has Duilded UP this gigan-
tic system of government. has CHI
lightencd men and made possible That
others than he should do some work,
only To be displaced by the articles ol
government which hc created. lie
educated others UP to his way OF do
ing things, and now that China feels
she can get along through his meth
ods she has no further use for him.
Tho native court has finally been per-
suaded by n faction strong enough
and anti-foreign enough to secure tic
appointment OF two native admins
strators with greater power than MS.
IT, WAS way back in 1854 when Hart
first went to China. lie had Just bcc'l
graduated from Queens College. Bel
fast, and when he assumed charge OIL
nnv affairs in China it WIS first over
the single port Of Shanghai. Faithful
service in initial duties brought higher
reward. and when lie was twcnty-eigllt
years Of ago there were five under HIS
supervision.
All of this was incidental. Tic
Young 1rishnan was building along
larger and broader lines. Anybody
could, by being IL good clerk, reach the
condcmning commonplace heights be
reached The first requisite was 10
master the Chinese language very
delicate and annoying proposition to-
negotiate, too. With the knowledge OF
the language came the knowledge OF
customs, of superstitions century root
cd. or blindness and follies which had
held in utter darkness the Chinese ma
ton since the world was begun. He
became the best Interpreter or CHI
nesc and CllinaInan, and the best
analyst Of their conditions in the en-
tire Kingdom. Tlen he notified the
government Office in London that he
was ready to quit the British consular
service and accepted from the Chi
nese government the commission of
inspector general of customs. Then
began the career which made him the
one force in the kingdom.
You know in China they have queer
ways of doing things-queer that is
according to Western standards. China
Jagged behind the procession Of ma
tions for years. She does today; but
not nearly so hopelessly behind as she
did before. Hart put some blood Of
manhood in her veins. Yet with all
their popularity in ways thai are
dark and things that are vain, they
knew a good man when they saw one.
Hart had only to demonstrate his abil-
ity, and there wasn't Il man Of any
power Of prominence i'll the Chinese
empire who wasn't willing to capitul-
ate to him hands down. Yes there