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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[46132]
(No. 438.) Sir,
No. 1.
December 20.]
SECTION 3.
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received December 20.)
Peking, November 27, 1909. I HAVE the honour to report the following changes in the high provincial appointments consequent upon the removal of his Excellency Tuan Fang from the Viceroyship of this province.
The vacancy at Tien-tsin has been filled by the transfer thither of the present Viceroy of the Hukuang provinces, his Excellency Chên K'uei-lung. The post of inetropolitan Viceroy has thus again devolved upon a Chinese, but otherwise the selec- tion is not considered a good one. The new Viceroy, who started official life as a secretary in the Tsung-li Yamen some twenty years ago, is not a man of any marked capacity, and has not been a success during his short tenure of office at Hankow. It is generally believed that he owes his rapid promotion to the influence of Prince Ch'ing, with whose family he is, I believe, distantly related.
The acting appointment at Hankow has been given to Jui-Ch'eng, the present Manchu Governor of Kiangsu, who is well and favourably known to the Shanghae community as the former Taotai at that port. Quite lately, he rendered valuable assistance to His Majesty's consul-general there in the settlement of the municipal land disputes, and altogether the appointment is one which should promote good relations between us and the Chinese at Hankow in connection with railway questions and other matters.
Pao-fen, the present Governor of Shansi, has been transferred to Kiangsu, and his successor in the former post is Ting Pao-ch'uan, the lieutenant-governor of the province. Ting Pao-ch'uan is probably the ablest of all the younger officials in the Empire. It was he who settled the Peking Syndicate's case in Shansi, and it is to his efforts that the stoppage of opium cultivation in the province is entirely due. He is a typical modern Chinese official, who combines a deep knowledge of Chinese literature with a tolerable acquaintance with outside affairs, and who, with no great liking for foreigners, is wise enough to see that their services may be usefully employed in educational and other work.
I have, &c.
J. N. JORDAN.
[2548 u-3]