xiv XV patriotism,but he was firmly convinced that she was more sinned has spread to the four quarters of the globe,and whose romantic and against than sinning,and that it ill became foreigners to adopt towards illustrious career in the Far East is without a parallel.* her an attitude of impatient fault-finding or of arrogant superiority. He chose a more excellent way.His approach was that of one who had Our 'fate is to live between two ages,"One dead,the other a genuine admiration of Chinese character and culture,and who powerless to be born."Dominance based on racial or national cherished a warm sympathy for the Chinese people. sovereignty is-except for misguided megalomaniacs-an outworn ideal;,but the new age-towards which we grope-an age of a At,the very outset of his career as Inspector-General,he recorded wholesome community life on a world-wide scale-each for all and his conviction that-"without any philanthropic cant the broad all for each-is as yet in the birth throes.It means a new alignment of principle of the good of China is the right one to go by," When international relations,and international civil services will be needed declining the post of British Minister at Peking he wrote to Lord to aid in shaping a future world policy.If so,the study of Hart's Salisbury-"The Service which I direct is called the Customs Service, character,experience,and methods may help in the solution'of some but its scope is wide and its aim is to do good work for China in every fundamental problems. possible direction."This principle he called his "touchstone",applying S.F.W. it impartially to every scheme and measure affecting China's interests, no matter who the advocates of such schemes.or measures might be. Oslo;31st December,1949. In that clear-cut principle he struck the bedrock of reality,namely,the recognition that foreign Powers seeking merely trade or their own North China Daily News;Shanghai:aist February,1928. aggrandisement,and "greedy for quick returns of profit"would in the end benefit neither themselves nor anyone else.He realised that the peace and welfare of the Far East,and of the world,are not served by the dominance of Western Powers in the affairs of Asia,a realisation which even today may serve as a signpost of danger.Time and again he sounded the warning that the Chinese will not for long submit to be run by any outside Power:they will control their own destiny,and work out their own salvation.It is not the cynic but the idealist who often has the finer perception of reality. Knowing China and the Chinese better perhaps than any other foreigner of his time he looked to the future with confidence,convinced that in the end China would win through."In the far off future",he wrote at a moment when China was in danger of partition,"it will all come right'again,for foreign domination will only end in making a greater China than ever."Today,in spite of civil war-evidence of a deep-rooted political split-in spite of the social,financial,and economic disorders which now rack'the country after nine years of bitter struggle against a powerful foe;and in spite of the colossal problem of remoulding the organisation of a vast continental area with its teeming millions from an outworn to a more modern and serviceable form,in spite of all this,Hart's prophecy is being fulfilled before our eyes.Slowly but surely the Chinese people are coming into their own; and towards that fulfilment,to the abiding honour of Great Britain, Hart's lifework made no small contribution. Nor is Great Britain the only gainer.Posterity will endorse the judgment that during the nineteenth century,and stretching into the twentieth,no single foreigner of any nationality made so favourable an impression on the Chinese as did Hart,and that no one contributed so much to the promotion of understanding and goodwill not only between Great Britain and China,but also between China and every State with which she came into contact.The great "I.G."still stands "the most interesting personality that ever figured in China,whose famexiv patrIotIsm, but he was firmly convinced that she was more sinned against than sinniI).g, and that it ill became foreigners to adopt towards 'her an a~t.itude of impatient fault-finding or of arrogant superiority. He chose a more excellent way. His approach was that of one who had a genuine admiration of Chinese character and culture, and who cherished a warm sympathy for the Chinese people. At ,the very outset of his career as Inspector-General, he :(ecorded his conviction that-"without any philanthropic' cant the broad principle of the good of China is the right one to go by," yvhen declining the post of British Minister at Peking he wrote to Lord Salisbury-"The Service which I direct is called the Customs Service, but its scope is wide and its aim is to do good work for China in every possible direction." This. principle he called his "touchstone", applying it impartially to every scheme and measure affecting China's interests, no matter who the advocates of such schemes. or measures might be. In that clear-cut principle he struck the bedrock of reality, namely, the recognition that foreign Powers seeking. merely trade or their own aggrandisement, and "greedy for quick returns of profit" would in the end benefit neither themselves nor anyone else. He realised that the peace and welfare of the'Far East, and of the world, are not served by, the dominance of Western Powers in the affairs of Asia, a realisation, which even today may serve as a signpost of danger. Time and again he ' sounded the warning that the Chinese will not for long submit to be run by any outside Power: they will control their own destiny, and work out their own salvation. It is not the cynic but the idealist who often has the finer perception of reality. Knowing China and the Chinese better perhaps than any other foreigner of his time he looked to the future with confidence, convinced that in the end China would win through. "In the 'far off future", he wrote at a moment when China was in daI?-ger of partition, "it will all come right' again, for foreign domination will only end in making a greater China than ever." Today, in spite of civil war--evidence of a deep-rooted political split-in' spite of the social, financial, and economic disorders which now rack' the country after nine years of bitter struggle against a powerful foe; and in spite of the colossal problem of remoulding the organisation of a vast continental area with its teeming millions from an outworn to a more modern and serviceable form, in spite of all this, Hart's prophecy is being fulfilled before our eyes. Slowly but surely the Chinese people are coming into their own; and towards that fulfilment, to the abiding honour of Great Britain, Hart's lifework made no small contribution. Nor is Great Britain the only gainer. Posterity will endorse the judgment that during the nineteenth century, and stretching into the twentieth, no single foreigner of any nationality made so favourable an impression on the Chinese as did Hart, and that no one contributed so much to the promotion of understanding and goodwill not only between Great Britain and China, but also between China and every State with which she came into contact. The great "I.G." still stands "the most interesting personality that ever figured in China, whose fame xv has spread to the four quarters of the globe, and whose romantic and illustrious career in the Far East is without a parallel.* Our' fate is to live between two ages, "One dead the other powerless to be born." Dominance based on' racial ~r national ~overeignty is-except for misguided megalomaniacs-an outworn Ideal;, but the ne,~ ag~-towards which we grope-an age of a wholesome commullIty hfe on a world-wide scale-each for all and ~ll for e~ch-is as yet in the birth throes. It means a new alignment of mternatlOnal relatIOns, and international civil services will be needed to aid in shapi?g a future' world policy. If so, the lltudy of Hart's character, expenence, and methods may help in the solution' of som.e fundamental pro,blems. S.F.W. Oslo; 31st December, 1949. * North China Daily News; S!langhai: 21st February, 1928