Sir Robert Hart, K.C.M.G.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXV, Issue IV, 28 July 1900, Page 166

Sir Robert Hart, K.C.M.G.

The following extracts from a sketch of Sir Robert Hart. K.C.M.G.. Inspec-tor-General of the Chin se Maritime Customs. is of special interest at this moment, when the fate of Sir Robert ami those with him at Pekin is, so far as we are concerned, one of mournful uncertainty. Th? sketch appeared in the ‘ Pall Mall Gazette”: THE GREAT -i.G.” •• I'he 1.G.” These letters, meaningless at Home, call up instantly in the mind of every foreigner in China a very distinct and striking image—th \ are as familiar here in the Far E; si as H.R.H. or D.T. are at Home. Ard a remarkable proportion of those who hear them tremble. For the image is that of the benevolent despot. whose outstretched hand unites or sj\ ns the Celestial Kingdom and the outside barbarian world: through whose lingers five hundred millions of dollars have run into the coffers of the Son of Heaven, and never a one of them stuck: to whom the proudest

Chinamen that ever wore pig-tails turn for advice in difficulty or danger when other helpers fail; who have staved olf a war by writing a telegram: who has deelined with thanks the proffered dignity of an Envoy Extraordinary tind Minister Plenipotentiary of Her Britannic Majesty; who has ringed China round with an administrative commercial organisation the whole world cannot surpass; who. finally. born to struggle for the poet’s bays, has laboured late and early all his life over dollars and duties, with a diplomatic nut whieh other people have failed to crack, thrown <o him now and then for relaxation. "The 1.G.” signifies a person and a post; the former is Sir Robert Hart. K.C.M.G.. the latter is Inspector-General of the Imperial Chinese Maritime Customs. And the transcendence of the Customs Service in China may be judged from the fact that a Commissioner once took personal affront and quitted the sacred edifice when a missionary implored the Almighty to "deliver this people from their wicked customs” —just as Mrs Gladstone is said to have interpreted a pious allusion to

“One above” as a polite reference to her husband in the drawing-room upstairs.

SIR ROBERT HART AND HIS BENE VOLENT DESPOTISM.

After the above 1 fear it will seem an anti-climax to say that Sir Robert Hart is far ami away the most interesting and influential foreigner in China. To begin with, his power is enormous. Chinese, so far as his own field is concerned, is much the same as English to him. and with the Tsung-li-Yamen he has the influence which thirty yeais of elose dealing with Chinese officials gives him, backed by the proud boast that they have never regretted taking his advice. I'hen he handles the service he has created from nothing to one which employs nearly 3000 people, presides over an annual foreign trade of 188,000.000 dollars, collects 20,000,000 dollars a year, clears 22,000,000 tons of shipping annually, and lights 1800 miles of coast, exactly as an engineer handles a machine he has constructed

just as tenderly and just as ruthlessly. And yet very few men whose livelihood and prospects are absolutely and at every moment in his hands —without the possibility of appeal or even protest —would willingly see anybody else in his place. The mere irresponsibility of the “1.G.” would ruin most men. Yet Sir Robert owes all his success to his free hand. HOW HE MADE THE FRENCH TREATY.

As for the services he has rendered to China, to England, and to the world, the statesmen of Europe know them very well, and it would take a volume to "tell them to others. Besides the creation of the Customs Service itself, which will be his immortality, to take the latest example, it was he alone who concluded the treaty between France and China. All negotiations had failed, and matters looked very black and threatening. Then, as

usual, the Ministers of the Tsung-li-Yamen came to Sir Robert. He agreed to take up the task on his two invariable conditions—that he should have a free hand, and that his connection with the affair should be kept a profound secret till he either succeeded or failed. Then negotiations began by telegraph in cipher between his “den” in Pekin and the Quai d’Orsay, and very awkward ones they were. Month after month they proceeded. and at last, when 80,000 taels had been spent in telegrams, the end

was reached, the Protocol was signed in Paris, and Sir Robert got into his chair and went to the Tsuug-li-Ya-men. The Ministers were there, and he sat down to a cup of tea with them. Bye ami bye he remarked, with the apparent indifference of the Oriental diplomat, "It is exactly nine months

to-day since you placed the negotiations with France in my hands.” “And the child is born!” instantly cried one of the Ministers, seeing the point, and delighted at the truly Chinese way of conveying the information. And the funny part of the business was that all this time a special French

envoy had l>een residing 1 at Tientsin, chafing at the slow progress he was making. and not having the least idea that other negotiations had been on foot until he received word from home that he might return, as all was arranged. He was so angry that he would not speak to Sir Robert.

HOW HE REFUSED TO BE BRITISH After sending the last telegram settling the French business. Sir Robert went to the funeral service of Sir Harry Parkes, the British Minister, who had just died. As he entered the chapel of the Legation a messenger

caught him with a telegram. He stopped a moment ami opened it a despatch from Lord Granville offering him the post of British Minister to China. He accepted, after much hesitation, and his appointment received the Queen’s signature on May 3, 1885. At his own request the matter was kept secret at Home while arrange meats were making for the succession to his position as the head of the Customs Service. Meanwhile a Conservative Government succeeded to of-

fice in England, and telegrams from the Foreign Office kept asking, “May we not publish the appointment?” Sir Robert had seen. however, by this time that the Customs Service would suffer severely if he left it at that time, and this was more to him than any other honour in the world. He therefore telegraph* <l. “Must I keep it?” and Lord Salisbury, replying in very complimentary terms that he was free to do exactly as he thought best, he finally d dined. the Empress. as his official reply truly but perhaps inadequately explained. preferring tha* he should remain. LOADED WITH DECORATIONS. I have said that the statesmen 01 Europe are well aware of Sir Robert Hart’s services, and the proof of this is that there are few civilians so decorated as he. In England a Conservative Government made him C.M.G., ami a Liberal one added the K.C.M.G. Sweden made him a Chevalier of the Order of Gustavus Vasa; Belgium, a Commander of the Order of Leopold; France, a Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour; Italy, a Graml Officer of the Crown of Italy; Austria sent him the Grand Cross of the Order of Francis Joseph: America has presented him with several medals of Republican appreciation; Portugal has decorated him with the Military Order of Christ; the Emperor of C hina has conferred upon him the coveted peacock’s feather and the Order of the Double Dragon; and his Orange friends at Belfast - his native place will no doubt be much interested and pleased to learn that he is. by direct gift from the Pope -nothing less than “sub annulo piscatoris”—a Commander of the Papal Order of Pius IX. As for knowledge of China and the Chinese, there is no one living who can compare with him. atnl I learned more of the inner working of celestial affairs during the fortnight that I had the honour of being his guest, than years of simple residence could have afforded.