The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-09-07
4 Bridgep0rt Boy Ia China Series Interviews Consul
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at the Country Club. I suppose just stay round and have a fine time,' he added in a half serious way"
 The Speaker was George c. Han son, American Consul at Foochow, tChina. MT. Hanson, who has been in tthe consular service in China for eleven years was born in Bridgeport Fin 1883, and is now in the city mak- ting his father and mother, MT. and Mrs. Charles Hanson of 129 Main street a visit. We were discussing Chinese affairs and his work in China when he made the above remark.
 T presume MT. Hanson that there are many people in Bridgeport who wonder the same thing. Perhaps you would be willing to tell me 2- The Times readers something about your work in China"
 You know" he replied, 'that the consular idea is very old; that it dates back into the middle ages when rulers sent men into other countries rto watch business and trade. Today we too are primarily established there to oversee and protect the commercial lreEations of the United States. We are tin a way a sort of advance selling iagent and keep the Department in Washington posted in regard to any thing which in any way affects com imerce in China. These reports through the Department of Com merce are made available for the in formation of American business imen."
 ITO us come Chinese men of affairs who are looking for foreign capital lor for machinery or goods and tell rus their projects and we try and find some men or concerns in America who are willing to furnish the money Tor enter into partnership with them or send them the machinery or com smodities. On the otEser hand we re- lceive queries from American business lmen concerning opportunities for the sale of their goods or the establish ing of an agency with some firm all ready in China who would act for them. To us also come all sorts of catalogues, trade magazines and pub g1icationS, and we keep a room where they are displayed and can be con lsulted by Chinese business men"
 "On this primary idea of watching trade there has grown a large and complicated set of consular duties, of which perhaps second in importance is the protection of American in .terests, the protection of individuals, and when necessary the protection of the missionaries
 Couldn't you give me a. specific in stance under each one of those heads Ito illustrate just what you mean2" I asked.
 Possibly I could" he replied and after a monn ent continued, "perhaps Ian incident which happened while I was stationed at Chungking will illus trate as well as any what I mean by looking after the American interests" You will notice," he said pointing out with his finger on a map of China, that Chungl<ing is on the Yangtze river quite a. long way from the coast. At a place called Ichang farther down the river the local mag Iistrate had given permission to the Standard Oil Company to erect a tank kand warehouse and a managers resi- jdence. Work had been. going on for some time and the company had Ispent some $2O, 900 when one day the place was attacked by revolution ary band. The magistrate and his man ran away and the revolutionary leader took possession and appointed one of his own men magistrate. This man immediately ordered that the work on the American buildings be stopped that everything be torn down and revoked the permission to put up the buildings there on the ground that there were graves near and it was a dissertation. In this he did not have the sympathy of the local Chi nese population who were glad to have the station built as they wanted ito buy the oil. The American in charge of the work telegraphed me of his trouble. There were no passen- ger boats running at the time but for tunately there was an American gun boat at Chungking and I made the trip, which took day, on this When I got there I found the work at a standstil1 and the thousand hands -s1.A- Ha land had a. talk with him. He was very obdurate and maintained he was right and proposed that we make a joint examination of the land. agreed to this and we counted all the graves which took us from ten in the forenoon until five in the afternoon. All the owners came and identified their graves by sticking little sticks up on them. When I left the magis- trate at night he wanted that I should not have the work go on until the matter was settled and agreed not Ito take any action himself overnight. I learned, however, that as soon as left him he had posted proclama.- tfons warning the workmen that any Iof them who went to work there LyyouId be arrested and sent to prison for six years. I went on board the Igunboat and at daybreak had it move
 
 breakfast I went ashore and advised that work be started and I then went ito see the magistrate and I told him hn the plaineSt Chinese. at my com- mand just what thought of him. He host his nerve and telegrahed the lGovernor at Chengtu, the capital oi the province. This removed the whole dispute to Chengtu. I was at a. los, Ito know how I was to get back tc (bunglxing for I did not dare to take the gunboat away. I telegraphed the British consul at Chungking to know if he would have a British gunboa' drop down thesriver and lay opopsite the oil works while the American boat took me up the. river. He sait he could not do that but sent the British boat down after me and tool me up to Chungking. I think thi
 was one of the finest acts I ever knev
 and it cost the British Government
 the burning of a thousand dollars
 of coal From 11Dgkiner \ e-O