Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-24
AMERICA NOT CONSULTED
Usual Preliminaries of Appointment
Are Omitted.
NOT YET NOTIFIED
Nor Has the State Department Re-
ceived Word of Selection-Wel-
come Said to Be Assured

PEKING, September 2i-The appoint-
ment OF Wa Ting fang 10 his former posi-
ton as minister at Washington was
gazctted today.
The appointment was made late yester-
day, but the fact was not gazetted until
this afternoon. The Americans here
ascribe the action taken oy the throne to
the friendliness of the American press to
Mr.. WI, and express Indifference regarding
the reappointment.
After leaving Washington Mr.. WI held
the lowest ministerial post in the foreign
office, and was transferred TO a subordinate
post in the board Of punishments. where
he brought about a revision of the penal
code and some civil codes, and framed reg
ulations governing limited liability compa-
MES. which are all said to be of question
able value as the effect of their operation
in China is not likely to be Of. any real
use, and 80 far they have amounted to
nearly nothing.
Appointment Vindication.
The foreign office does not appear to have
taken advantage Of the experience OF Mr.
WI, except during the boycott of American
goods. After the question of a revision Of
the Chinese exclusion law was dropped he
was relegated to an Inferior post and then
retired
In some circles here the career of Mr..
WI as Chinaman abroad is viewed as be-
ing only second In success. from China's
standpoint. to that OF the late Ii Hung
Chang on his tour of the world. Mr.. wu's
recall to official life after his work and
motives had been discredited at Picking Is
In the nature of personal triumph. and 1t
is perhaps creditable to him that his reap
pointment is not welcomed among the
Chinese officials here, where he Is distin-
guished as being the sole surviving min
ct ~ thA L., IT
gusts and not statesmen abroad.
Attitude of State Department.
The Chinese legation has received no Of
fetal notice Of the appointment Of Mr.. WI,
the first information to reach the members
OF the mission being that conveyed in the
foregoing dispatch.
The government at Picking has not yet in
formed the State department of its purpose
OF appointing WI Ting-fang as Chinese
minister at Washington, although Minister
Rockhill has referred to the current under
standing among the native officials that
that appointment was to be made 1t is Gus
tomary for government in such cases to
make inquiry Of the government to which
1t is proposed to send a new minister to
would be acceptable. So far that has not
been done. but Oh course the Inquiry will
come to Washington in due time. AS al
ready announced In The Star there is no
reason to believe that the State Department
will object to the reception of Mr. WI.
The officials are thoroughly acquainted
with the limitations of that diplomat, and In
the past were sometimes disposed to adjure
him to refrain from the extremely free
criticism in which he INDUCED on some &C.
casions in public. But 1t was realized that
heNwas animated solely by patriotic desire
to protect his countrymen from further dis
crlminatory treatment by law or treaty. so
they were inclined to be lenient In their
views. Therefore, far as can be learned,
there is no doubt that WI VIII be cor
daily received.