New-York tribune., 1909-07-22
SIR ROBERT HARTs SUCCESSOR.


The retirement of Sir Robert Hart from the
place of Inspector General Of the Imperial Mari
time Customs Service of China will seem and,
indeed. may be. epoch marking in the history
of that empire the death of the Empress
Dowager or the granting of n constitution. For
forty years he has been at the head OF the
service which he Is now 90 leave. There Is no
exaggeration in saying that for much Of that
time he has been one of the two or three most
important and most valuable men In China.
He has given to that empire its one great gov
ernmental department which has been marked
by integrity and efficiency; he has secured TO
the government an Indispensable revenue which
il would have been almost impossible to get
without him, and he has exerted an inestimable
influence for good upon relations between
China and the rest of the world. Possibly his
place will be filled as well as he himself has
filled it But neither that nor any other cir
cumstance can deprive him of the unique dis
tinctiOn which he has won by his years of sin
gularly successful achievement in one of the
most difficult administrative Offices I'm the
world
The question of his successor concerns every
nation which has commercial relations with
China 1t may be regarded a foreg0ne con
cluson that his successor will be an English
man. Years ago the Chinese government
place so long as British commerce with China
exceeded that of any other nation. Doubtless
the Chinese government would like to be re-
leased from that pledge, especially in this pres
ent era of Chinese awakening and of practical
application of the principle China for the
Chinese" Indeed, it has been proposed several
times In the last few years to replace Sir Rob
ert Hart with Chinaman, but the British gov
ernment has insisted upon fufiment of the
pledge and will doubtless continue $50 to do.
OF course, that might mean the filling of the
office with Englishmen for centuries to come,
and in time with China fully awakened and on
a constitutional basis Great Britain may vOlIIn-
tariy consent to abrogation Of the rule. But at
present in the transition stage through which
China is passing it is desirable, for the welfare
of China herself as we'll that of other ma
tions that the rule shall be maintained.
Since 1873 Sir Robert BredOn has for much
Of the time been Sir Robert Harris understudy,
secretary, lieutenant and Iocwm tcnens, and for
the last twenty-five years has been regarded as
his logical successor. The late Lord Salisbury
assured him that the British government would
support his candidacy for the place as strongly
as it could. During the Boxer troubles, how
ever it was at one time supposed that both Sir
Robert Hart and Sir Robert Bredon had been
killed. and the British government thereupon
put forward Mr.. Hippisley as a candidate for
the inspector generalship- Since then, for
some reason which is not altogether clear that
government has continued to favor the candi-
dacy of E1r. Hippisley and has directly opposed
that of Sir Robert Bredon The only reason
which so far as the world knows has been
officially given him for this change Of attitude
is that he is growing too old for the place; but
that reason is to say the least, not supported
by the circumstance that Mr. Hippisley is two
years older still. 1t is understood that Sir
Robert Bredon is resolutely maintaining his
claim to the place and that the Chinese govern
ment Is strongly inclined to appoint him If
it should appoint him, as it has an indisputable
right to do, it is not clear that the British gov
could do otherwise than 20 aeqtiesce.