Evening star., 1928-04-21
DEFENDS HOOvER'S
RECORD IN CHINA
Only Native Now Alive Con.
nected With Mining Case
Tells of Part in Deal.
BY b. w. FLEIsHER.

SHANGHAI, April 2l.-Since Secre-
tary of Commerce Herbert Hoover be-
came presidential possibility a rumor
has been current in the Far East that
he once was involved in a sensational
Chinese mining transaction.
Only one Chinese now living was
closely connected with the enterprise.
He Is Tang Shao-Yi, grand old man"
OF China, now in retirement in his
native village of Tongka, in southern
China. The writer has just completed
a long and arduous journey to Tongka,
and has heard from Tang Shao-Yi's
own lips a refutation of the rumor of
Secretary Hoover's connection with the
case
Tang Shao-Yi, educated in the United
States from 1877 to 1881, holder Of vari-
Gus ministerial portfolios under the
Manchu DOwager Empress and several
times Prime Minister of the Canton
government, gave the correspondent
warm welcome at his remote village. and
before my mission could be explained
fully he interrupted to say:
After Hoover Left.
ut is a privilege to make known the
| facts regarding Mr.. Hooyers record in
| China The American people must dis
| pei the false and absurd insinuations,
which, to me, are apparently wickedly
/ inspired
THE action brought by the Chinese
| in London in 1905 was based on events
| that occurred after Mr. Hoover. sever
| ing all connections with the mining
company, had left China in 1901 for the
| United States. He was not defendant
| but an important witness. In fact, it
was due largely to his testimony that
| the Chinese won the case.
"On the eve of the presidential con-
! ventions in the United States, in which
/ the name of Herbert Hoover figures
prominently understand that insinua-
| tions have been renewed regarding his
record in China 81 years ago." said
Tang. Il understand that they have
vaguely referred TO transactions with
| the company by which he is supposed
| in some way to have profited at the
expense of Chinese Mr. Hoover's rec
| ord in China was not only clean and
honorable but highly creditable and in
many ways remarkable.
| Twice I-oover saved the company for
| the Chinese shareholders. and during
| the period of the Boxer uprising there is
no accounting how many lives he saved.
/ have always felt that his actual relief
work began In China.
II have in mind his courageous work
| during the Boxer uprising in 1900,
| Tang continued las general manager
Of the Tientsin -Shanhaikuan Railway,
/ lived in the Tientsin international set
| tlement Mr. and Mrs. Hoover lived
/ across the street The Boxers were
shelling the settlement with powerful
gun they had nicknamed the Empress
1 A 1an CITY,
| my house MY wife and fourth daugh-
! ter were killed About zoo men. women
and children were in my home seeking
| refuge, and many were killed and in
! jured.
I'VE were panic sticken. My first
| thought was TO seek safety. I carried
| the body of my wife on my back and
| led the way TO the large cellar Of the
company. Mr Hoover rushed TO my
house at the risk Of his life and carried
| out a number of dead and injured
/ Later the house caught fire. and Mr.
/ Hoover braved the flames 10 save the
| life of my fifth daughter, then 4 years
| old. who later became Mrs. Wellington
| Koo. During that period Mrs. Hoover
/ in her own home nurSed and provided
l for refugees.
| Engineer for China.
"a thousand refugees sought safety
| in the cellar Mr.. Hoover led band OF
/ IL on a foraging expedition. Ii was
| Hoover and DR.. Tenney who for 20 days
| fearleSSly on humane mission supplied
| refugees numbering several thousand
at different places with food and water
and probably saved their lives.
| Hoover came to China originally as
| an engineer for the Chinese govern
ment Following the Boxer uprising he
accepted a position as consulting engi-
neer for q company in coal mining
| enterprise. then under Chinese regis
| tration. After the uprising possession
of the property became bone Of con-
| tention.
s'It was Hoover's action which saved
! the company and the Chinese and other
/ shareholders at that critical time lie
went promptly 10 London and reorgan-
| lied the concern which gave it neceS-
| Sary protection. MFR, Hoover was made
| general manager. He was not in charge
| OF finances, and later. when BelgianS
/ obtained control. he severed connec-
tionS Ii was during the Belgian control
! that the company did not live up 70 the
/ terms of the memorandum. Again Mr..
| Hoover saved the prouertv for the Chi
nese shareholders. lie was not de-
! fendant in this case. but IL was largely
because of his testimony as a witness
that the Chinese established the valid
| itv OF the memorandum, won their suit
and had the Chinese director general
reinstateG."
fCopyrixht 1a"S,t
.