Eugene Chen

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 6746, 2 January 1932, Page 6

Eugene Chen

‘ ‘ FIREBRAND DIPLOMAT. ’ ’

v SEAT IN CABINET. SHANGHAI, Dec. 30. The appointment of Eugene Chen, China’s firebrand diplomat, who held office ia 1927, to the new Cabinet is confirmed. He is expected to assume office on January 1.

Eugene Chen is small, dark, 55, and suspect by' the Chinese because he had the misfortune to bo born in Trinidad, and in consquence does not understand Chinese very well. He talks with a flow or words, controlled passion, and mastery of English, which has resulted in an interview'with him being compared to holding one’s head under Niagara. Five ymars ago the air was thick witn accusations of double dealing on his part, peculation and personal ambition being charged against him. Revolutionary in tendency', he has a lawyer’s respect for diplomatic precedent, for ho received a legal training, qualifying as a solicitor in London. In 1912 he became legal adviser to the Ministry of Communications under the first Republican Government, and later edited and owned the Pekin Gazette.” He revealed intrigue betwen some Chinese and Japanese and was arrested at the instance of those whom he exposed. When he was released ho went to Shanghai and was in touch with Dr Sun Yat-Sen after the forcible dissolution of Parliament which took place in 1917. In 1918 he was a member of a Chineso diplomatic mission to tho United States, and in 1910 was a member of the Southern Chinese delegation to the Peace Conference, where ho was tho author of a memorandum setting forth China’s case for the revision of the treaties. He toured Europe and returned to China in 1920, and in 1924 went to Pekin in company with Sun Yat-Sen. In 1925 he was editing a bilingual paper there, and was kidnapped and narrowly escaped death. Only tho timely arrival of Government troops saved him. In the Cabinet of 192 Gho became Minister of Foreign Affairs and conducted the negotiations which ended in the signing of the Hankow agreement, with Mr. O’Malley', Councillor of the British Legation at Pekin.