, 1911-10-25
"GRAND OLD MAN OF CHINA"
Death Of Sir Robert Hart from Heart
Failure.

We regret to announce the death of Sir
Robert Hart, former Inspector-GeneraI OF
Customs in China, which took place at Fin
oest Grove, near NARROW, at half past ten
o'clock on Wednesday night. He was seven
ty SIX years of age.
The cause of death was heart failure fol-
lowing al attack Of pneumonia. Lady Hart
and members of the tmnily were with Sir
Robert at Fingest Grove.
Sir Robert Harris career as an administra-
tr is probably without parallel. Many Euro
peanS have served Oriental Governments with
Distinction, but none has ever so profoundly
modified the administration Of the State III
which he has lived and worked.
Born in 1885, the son OF a nijlowner and
landed proprietor at Portadown, County
Armagh, Sir Robert Hart first went to CHINA
in 1854 as an interpreter liz the British CON
sular service, and when only twenty eight
years old passed into the servic9~ef the Cht-
nese Government as Lnspector-G5nera Of
Maritime Customs, an appointment which
has only ceased with his death.
Belief in China.
IL 1908 ethe Grand Od Man of Chinl,'s
as he was Familiarity called, returned to Eng
land on q years leave Of absence. and each
following year this leave was extended. He
had been feeling The weIght Of his years,
and he was also troubled with insomnia for
many months before his departure from
China, to which he was tated nos to return.
Sir Robert was ever load in his praise of
the Chinese aud strong in the belief that
China was destined to b come u very power
ful nation. Progress would be SOW, and
sby the time they are organised or modern
lines they viii have leurned Il great deal
more than they know at present. Thea,
even if they were ag9resSIve-a5 they are
not-they will know how to temper Tia 1T
strength with wisdom'-an alusion to the
yellow PeriL.'' In his book, "Ihese from
the Land of Siuim," published some years
AGO. he 4aid that the Chinese are really n
people of sebrold views and wide tolerance"
Law reigns everywhere an disorder is the
exception" The Boxer movement, he held,
wa, p|atriotic in origin ana Unsuitable in It's
Fundamental idea, The Chinese race as
looking forward to the day when it will be
strong enough to do away with foreign in
tercOurse, interference, and intrusion"
\ Chinese Band,
The InsDector-G General was fond Of music
aud he organised a Chinese band. During
the relief operations ut the time of the siege
Of the Legations Mt Pekiu, some Russian sol
diers wore looting the house OF u Chinese
family, when one of Sir Roberts musicians
came on tie scene and beg m to pay tire
Russian National Anthem. The Museovjte
soldiers Immediately ceased their p,undering
aud stood to attention, and when the anthem
was finished they marched out of the house.
'eWhen l heard Of this, said Sir Robert,
II felt that l had been we'll repaid for ALI
the time and money l had spent on my
band
London, after his many years absence,
on 1 ~ al 8AN- ,~>IlA4,
greatly exercised his mind How do you
cross the streets really cannot under
stand how you do it. The traffic is 50 euor-
nous.
lie received nearly all the most important
Chinese deco ations, and Queea Victoria
made him C.MG. in 1880, KC.M.G. i'll
1882, GCM.G. in 1889, and a baronet in
1898. Ibid