New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-09
End Comes In Honolulu,
Where Illness Forced Him
TO Leave Steamer.
WAS TO BE YUAN
SHIH-KAPS ADVISER
Famous In American Diplomatic
Service and as Authority on
Tibet and China.

hcnOlulu, Dtc. o.-N ltlaih W. NUN
hill died here to-day.
He was on his way TO Peking to as
sumo the duties of adviser TO President
Yuan Shih-kai, and left the liner
Chiyo Maru, on which he had booked
through passage TO Japan, because Of
severe cold he had taken since sailing
from San Francisco.
symptoms of cardiac weakness devel-
oped yesterday at the hospital to which
he was removed, and last night he was
announced TO be critically Ill. He sank
rapidly and died at l o'clock this
morning.
Commodore Dennis H. Mshan, U. S.
NJ, retired, and Governor Lucius +.
Pinkham will take charge OF the funeral
and the burial will be here.
Washington, Dec. s.-News OF the
death of Mr.. Rockhill came to the
State Department late to-day in a
cable dispatch from Mrs. Rockhill to
Assistant Secretary Phillips. A mes
sage of coincidence was Immediately
sent in the name of Secretary Bryan
and the whole of the personnel Of the
department.
it was recalled by some to-day that
when Mr.. Rockhill was in Washington
a few weeks ago he seemed to be in Ill
health, and was apprehensive about his
condition. Because of his powerful
physique and long exemption from all
ments of all kinds, however, not much
heed was given to his fears.
William Woodville Rockhill was one
Of the most distinguished members OF
the American diplomatic service. Dur
ing his thirty years devotion TO inter-
national affairs he acted as the United
/ States Minister to China, minister TO
Greece and ambassador 10 Russia and
Turkey. Although he was a Democrat
he held high posts of honor under Re-
publican administrations, so well was
he regarded. In skill in handling COM
pick matters Of state he was reputed
second to none.
Sent to Explore Tibet.
The Smithsonian Institution was at
tracted by some of his reports when he
was a second secretary of the Ameri-
can Legation at Picking upon little
known phases of the rural Chinese.
They resulted in his being sent into
Tibet in 1888 and 1892.
So comprehensive was his study or
this little known people that IN time
he attained to scientific distinction as
an ethnologist and was regarded as an
authority on the history, manners and
! conditions of life of the Tibetans.
From long residence among the Chi
nese and from personal exploration
| in many cases afoot for months at
! time in distant parts of the chinese
Empire, he acquired knowledge OF
various dialects and characteristics OF
/ the different elements which make up
the complex empire and became ac-
| knowledged as one of the foremost
Orientalists in the world. His appoint
ment by Yuan Shih-kai as adviser was
a tribute to his remarkable comprehen-
sion of and sympathy with Chinese al
fairs, thought and aspirations.
Mr.. Rockhill was born in Philadel-
phia in 1854 and was educated IN
France, being one of the few American
graduates of the great French military
school of St. Cyr. He entered the dlplo-
matte service as second secretary at
Picking in 1884, and later was charge
of the American Legation at Seoul,
Corea. At the end of his Chinese and
Tibetan explorations he held the post
of chief clerk in the Department OF
State for a brief period, and in 1894
became Third Assistant Secretary. OF
State, from which he was promoted TO
be Assistant Secretary.
In 1897 he received his first mission,
going to Athens as American Minister
to Greece, Rumania and Servia. Two
wears of TO eign service gave him an
opportunity TO complete certain studies
he was pursuing, and he returned 70
the United States to become director or
the Bureau of American Republics,
which post he held six years, relln-
ouishing it to accept the Chinese mis-
sion, where he served four years.
Promoted to Cars Capital.
From fexing Mr.. Rockhill was pro-
NOTED to be ambassador at st. Peters
burg, now known as Petrograd, where
he remained for two years, and at ms
own request in 1911 was transferred
TO the embassy at Constantinople.
This change was made by Mr.. Rockhlli
in order that he might acquire material
by personal observation for a literary
work he had in hand relating TO the
history of the Turkish Empire. Also,
il was stated by his friends, that he
found the post at st. Petersburg far
too expensive for his modest private
means.
On November 20, 1913, having been
relieved by Ambassador Morgenthau,
Mr.. Rockhill left Constantinople and
terminated his connection with the
American diplomatic service. How
ever. he was not to remain long unem-
ployed, for President Yuan Shih-kai,
his old friend, fully acquainted with
his abilities and warm friendship for
China, quickly retained him as one OF
the advisers of the Chinese govern
ment. He was on his way to China in
company with Mrs. Rockhill from San
Francisco when obliged to land at Hon