C.0. 0847
Extract from the "Hong-Kong Telegraph" of the 2nd January, 1902.
RES 161
1
Mr. Stewart Lockhart's New Appointment.
News has arrived to the effect that the Hon. J. H. STEWART LOCKHART, C.M.G., Colonial Secretary, has been appointed to the Commissionership of Wei-hai-wei. This, goes without saying, is promotion for Mr. LOCKHART, and his many friends, both European and Chinese will doubtless join with us in offering him congratulations.
We do not think that a better man could have been selected for the post, for Mr. LOCKHART'S twenty-two years service in Hongkong have given him an intimate knowledge of the Chinese and their ways which few other men of his age possess. This is just what will be wanted in the new colony, for there will be many questions cropping up between the Government and the natives which will require a considerable knowledge of native ways and methods of thought to deal with, and which, if left to be settled by an outsider would be bound to lead to complications.
In Hongkong Mr. LOCKHART has done exceptionally good work and Wei-hai-wei's gain will be this Colony's loss. We all know that Mr. LOCKHART's views have not at all times coincided with those of the European community, that he has been irreverently dubbed a "Chinaman," and charged with leaning too much towards the Chinese in many things; but a close scanning of the history of Mr. Lockhart's service will show that on more occasions than one he has been able to save these same Europeans who abused him from falling into errors which would have led to the very evils which they wished to avoid. Take for instance the subject of representation for the taxpayer. This was a thing for which the Europeans clamoured mightily and said that they must have it. Mr. LOCKHART thought differently, and said so, and now we think that few fail to realize that such control would place the whole Government of the Colony in the hands of the Chinese, the very people whose influence the popular agitation was intended to upset, for they are the bulk of the taxpayers. We do not go so far as to say that Crown Colony Government is perfect, for we know that such is not the case. But we do think that in the instance quoted above, Mr. LOCKHART saved the Europeans from being hoist with their own petard.
The next question is who is to take Mr. LOCKHART's place? The Hon. F. H. May, C.M.G., who has several times filled the post of Acting Colonial Secretary, is next in seniority to Mr. LOCKHART and we presume that the mantle will naturally fall to him. What is to be sincerely hoped is that no outsider, who has no knowledge whatever of the Colony or the Chinese, will be appointed to the post. As we have frequently pointed out, one half of the friction which arises between the Government of the Colony and the Chinese is occasioned by mutual misunderstandings and, as a great part of the administrative work of the Colony must necessarily fall on the shoulders of the Colonial Secretary, who must also be ready at any moment to advise the Governor on local affairs, a man who has the Chinese and their ways at his finger ends is an absolute necessity.