HUNG CHANG.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1634, 28 December 1912, Page 2

HUNG CHANG.

; p FROM HIS DIARY. A DAY WITH BISMARCK. "I HATE THE BOASTED ENGLANDERS." n. !'_ During the first five days of hie stay in Gorman Li Hung Chang did not write a line in his diary,-though he does not fail to cover his experiences there pretty thoroughly whon ho again takes pen in ■hand. He writes at Essen as follows:— A Talk with Bismarck. While I am officially the g'uest of tho German nation, I am hero personally the guest of Herr Krupp, whom I have for many years longed to see. I do not know which I had tho greater desire to seePrince Bismarck or Herr Krupp; but however that may be, I have seen them both, talked with them freely, and feel that had - no other attraction or benefit been awaiting mo in Germany I had been well repaid. Each of' these men seems to bo filling the, place ho is most fitted to occupy— Krupp in his quiet way to make big guns, and Bismarck occupying a place where he can put them to use. For while it is known that the Kaiser is the head and front of Germany, yet it is Bismarck who is the solid rock upon which any great trouble must fall. . I had a splendid visit to Prince Bismarck at his castle tho day before yesterday.' He made me drink some beer, which I did not like at all, but a taste for which' he said I would acquire if I stayed long enough in Germany. I told him' I did not expect to live many years longer, and that it would probably be • impossible for me to learn to' like the national beverage. We smoked our pipes together, and enjoyed a long visit, troubled only by thoso who translated for us, and by the servants who brought pipes and drinkables. During a large part of the'time we discussed international politics, and finally came to tho prospective influence of. Germany in the Far East. England's "Weak Points." "You have seen but little of us in your part of tho world," ho said, "for -Germany as a unit is -only a new nation; but the time will come when the German Empire will dominate Europe. England, with all her bluster and show, has a hundred weak points, and she knows that a conflict with a Power nearly her equal will mean her undoing. I hate the boasted Englanders, even though Gorman blood rules, from the throne." When, towards tho end of our meeting— in fact, as' we were about to part—l told him that, some people had paid- me the high compliment of calling me tho "Bismarck of the Far East," the Prince tried to look serious, as if studying my meaning. Then he smiled under his bushy eyebrows and whispered to Captain Ruffbach (who spoke the best Mandarin Chinese I over heard n German use): "Tell his Excellency; that the French would not consider that a compliment at all 1" Of courso I understood, and wo shook hands over tho agreement that tho French did not love Bismarck. I found that tho Prince could deliver a compliment as quickly as anyone, for h,e immediately said after our handshake, "And so they have called your Excellency the Bismarck of the Far East, eh? Weil, I want to tell you that I cannot ever hope to be termed the. Li' Hung Chang of Europe." "Emperor of Essen." As I was comin'g to Essen from Berlin we naturally spoko a good deal regarding Herr Krupp, who, Bismarck said, was an emperor in his own style, the "Em;perdr of Essen." ' "Germany is not fbpwar,'" he said, "but" strong armament is as necessary to a nation aa a olub is to a policeman. . The policeman does not carry his stick to use it upon the heads of innocent people, but he.has it in plain sight so that evil-in-clined persons may-know that ho is always prepared for trouble. Let the policeman walk his beat carrying a feather or a wisp of hay and see liow quickly the bullies will jump upon him and rob him of the little he possesses. "And so with' Essen. Herr Krupp has established a great industrial plant there ind provided bread and beer to thousands. Even if not one of his guns was ever fired he would still be a great benefactor of his country. But, as it is, he is still greater from the German point of view. He has won. many victories for his country, victories that tho public know nothing about. The noise of Essen to-day is the song of peace; to-morrow it may bo the voice of a united Germany speaking through a thousand Essen mouths to an enemy." Captain Ruffbach accompanied me here by the request of Bismarck, and I am glad he did, for he seems to know about everything and is able to tell what he-knows. Tho captain was for many years employed at Peking and Canton in Consular capacities, and writes well in Chinese. I think I shall ask the ICaiser to send him back with me. . Toy ,Cannon: And a Moral. Herr Krupp presented , me with a fine Steel-framed painting of himself yesterday.. I asked for it because of ray great admiration for him. Ho said that Muller had painted tho picture for his wife, Mme. 'ICrnpp, but that she was delighted to let ine have it. Herr Krupp also made me a present of a complete miniature battery of artillery of a nice 6ize for children to play with. In fact, ho had them drawn into my room by six little schoolgirls all dressed in yellow and hauling the little cannons by yellow; silk ribbons. One of the little girls thought it was real war, I imagine, for she was' very much frightened, and after a while began to cry. And she was the one that "drove" the others, too, and probably was captain of the battery. I could not help thinking that that was often the way, for I remember that once, while fighting the Tongs in Senchi, we had offioers that were mem cowards, while the common men would fight bravely. Herr Krupp's Gift. Herr and Mme'. Krupp, General Voniberg, Count and Countess Gregg, and others, were present when the gift of the battery- of artillery was made and accepted. 1 spoke in reply to Herr Krupp's brief speech, and Captain Ruffbach translated it excellently. But ho overlooked my last sentenoe, and I called his attention to it. He grew very red in the face, and it was evident that he was somewhat embarrassed, but I only repeated my statement, and he in turn gave it to the little company. Pool 1 fellow, he thought it was going to offend the party! But as soon as Ruff bach's words were out of his mouth, the whole company burst into laughter, and Herr Krupp actually slapped mo upon the shoulder and aoted like a merry brother. . "You shall have one; yes, a real battery," he said a couple of times. You tee, I had told him that while I appreciated highly his compliment to myself as the representative of the Chinese Throne and people, I believed his great gun works would bo made better known in Eastern Asia by a battery of big guns! And so this morning at the works six finely, polished guns were paraded before me as tho present of Herr Krupp to tho Chinose Empire, a gift worth moro than 108,000 taels! But I do not think he will lose by. his generosity, for C'lung has instructed two of tho German engineers here to, select three other batteries of field pieces and four six-inch guns to be shipped at an early date to China. Wo will buy German powder and shells here also. "Sky Firo" at S. Morning.—Tho letter from Von Moltko is simply one expressing his desire to meet mo when I arrivo at Potsdam. He was to have been at Schoveningen. (I can scarcely write that horrible name.) But I shall never forget the wonderful display of sky firo [fireworks] the people of that place prepared for me. We havo many kinds of coloured sky fires in China, and they are truly wonderful, but what I saw at S. Ta mark in tho diary] was as if all the spirits of the air had combined to make a home show for me in Europe. There wore real battles of men and ships. I know, becati9o I havo seen them. And thero wore great representations of tho Golden Dragon, a picture of tho Empress Grand Dowager (Tsu Hsi) and of tho Emperor. As last they had, with tho booming of cannon and tho blare of many military bands, a picture of his Excellency Li Hung Chang in his yellow jacket! Ami, without knowing ef Mumsv what kind ol J

a show I was to witness—although I had beon informed in advance that it was in my had donned my yellow jaoket early that evening, and was attired m it when tho army committeo, headed by General von Getner, and the city committeo, headed by Burgomaster Sanders, called

In a marginal note, written some time later, tho Viceroy explains that he was interrupted in his description of the "feast of S." by the arrival of ono of his party with a number of important cablegrams, ono of them being from President Cleveland, inviting him to America in the name of tho Amorican people. Tho diary continues, three or four days after leaving Potsdam:— ' "Clockwork" Germany. Bremerhaven. From all that I have seen, I am moro than ever convincod that the Kaiser and Princo Bismarck meant what they said when they averred that the German Empire was destined to become a dominant factor in Europe. I am wondorfully impressed with the way this nation seems to bo working as a unit. The army is upon a business basis, the navy is on a business basis, and the whole machinery of government works smoother than our best Canton timepieces. , I arrived here this morning, accompanied by a host of high officials, and others met our p.vty hero. Tho whole placo is in gala attire, and I have all I can do to make myself believe that I am only a foreigner visiting the country, instead of a King in this land. I am told that hundreds and thousands of foreigners are here to-day, and a great number have been introduced to me; some English, some French, and some Americans—the latter said to be so rich that they could buy the fleet of magnificent warships lying' in this fine harbour.

It is a long time 6ince I was engaged in any fighting, hand to hand, ana I am now getting too old to think of it; nevertheless, my oyes never tire of regiments of soldiers nor of great warships that can do things.

Tho German Navy. 1 In answer to my questions I have learned the approximate cost of most of tho German ships, There are great shipyards here, and Germany intends to build all her navy for all time at homo. I could wish for nothing better than that China should build her own fleet and have every man and officer in it a true Eon of the Middle Kingdom.

But out people are not sailors, except upon tho rivers, and they do not know how to handle machinery. But they will learn in time, I hope. Anyway, whon I return I shall make it my duty to urge advancement in all Western "arts and .crafts. We havo our beautiful, literature, far and ahead of that of the Western nations; but they have the money and tho guns.

It was a sad thought for me to-day, as I saw 1 thoso fine ships lying idle there, that they were doing no particular good, while, if they had been ours, we should have conquered tho Japanese. Some of the officials hinted that' I ought to leave an order at Bremorhavon for one or two ships, and I said to one of the ndmirals standing by: "If you will sell mo that ship over there for 2,300,000 taels, I will go in _ her to Franco and England and America," But he said that my naval knowledge was too good; I had picked out his flagship, the strongest battleship of the German, navy.