6 HART AND THE CHINESE CUSTOMS HART AND THE CHINESE CUSTOMS 7 so successful was it that in 1878 China was invited to join the Inter- strengthen the Central Government,vis-a-vis the provincial authorities, national Postal Union.That step,however,was deferred,as the I Chan, by making it realize that it,and it alone on the Chinese side,was the Min Chi,and the foreign postal agencies in China had not then responsible for the execution of the treaties.In this latter respect,both been absorbed or eliminated.It was not till March 1896 that an Chinese statesmen and foreign diplomats quickly recognized that the Imperial Decree was issued creating an Imperial Post for all China to instituting of a uniform Customs system at all the open ports was,in be organized on Western lines under the management of the Inspector- effect,the creation for the Central Government of an invaluable General of Customs,and subject to the supervision of the Tsungli unifying and centralizing auxiliary.This was something of a novelty Yamen and later of the Wai-wu-Pu.By 1911 the Postal Service,which in Chinese administrative methods,one of the guiding principles of up till then had been a regular charge on Customs funds,had so which thitherto had been to leave the initiative to the provincial developed as to be able to assume financial independence,and in that authorities whilst the central power contented itself,.in the main,with year the Post Office passed from under Customs control and became registering and criticising all such local administrative actions.As an a department of the Yu-ch'uan Pu.5 organization controlled by the Imperial-and not the provincial- Even high diplomacy and treaty negotiations have been included authorities,collecting revenue at all the open ports for the disposal of in the range of the Service's activities.The treaty of Tientsin (1858) the Central Government,controlling foreign trade in accordance with and its attached Rules of Trade owed much of their comprehensiveness treaties ratified by that Government,and in all other matters carrying and practicability to the experience,skill,and forcefulness of H.N. out the orders of that Government-while remaining on a friendly and Lay,the first Inspector-General.Hart carried on the tradition in helpful footing with the provincial authorities-the Customs Service happier vein by his work for,and unceasing support of,the Alcock acquired throughout the country a special significance and infuence convention (186g)-a convention which,to her own and to China's as an instrument of the central power,and as a unifying agency radical detriment,Great Britain failed to ratify-by his mediation at a critical interference with which by local administrations would spell political moment in 1875 to avert,after the Margary murder,the rupture of disruption.The only political creed which the head of the Service at diplomatic relations between Great Britain and China,by his deft and Peking and his Commissioners at the ports could profess was that of tactful handling,with the invaluable aid of J.D.Campbell,of the unswerving loyalty to the internationally recognized Government of the delicate negotiations which successfully terminated in the Protocol of country;-a loyalty gratefully acknowledged again and again by the Paris (1885)and the Protocol of Lisbon (1887),by his expert advice and late Empress Dowager to her trusted Inspector-General and similarly willing assistance to the representatives of various foreign Governments recognized by subsequent Republican Governments.That creed was at Peking when they were negotiating trade treaties with China,and by always paramount,although at times of civil disorder it had,in certain the agreements,signed by him as China's representative with the districts,to be held with a recognition of temporary de facto local colonial authorities of Hongkong,Lappa,Tsingtau,and Dairen for the administrations in revolt against that Government.Perhaps at no time establishing of Custom houses at these places.Yet other treaty was this more clearly exemplified than during the Revolution of negotiations in which the Inspector-General,through the agency of his 1911-1913.That was an upheaval which threatened chaos,not only Commissioners,took a hand were those which resulted in the commercial political and social but also commercial and financial.In the provinces treaties of 1g02 and 1g03,those for the regulations regarding trade.etc., separatism became the order of the day,and separatism-if allowed free attached to the Sikkim-Tibet convention of 18go,those for the Sungari rein-would have meant the disintegration of the Service as an River trade,those for the agreement relating to through traffic on the organization making for unity and centralization,the choking of the Antung-Mukden and Corean railways,and those for the recently signed channel through which flowed China's foreign trade,and inevitably a Customs agreement with Hongkong.Here,too,should be mentioned default in the service of the foreign obligations secured on the Customs the part played by Hippisley in writing the Memoranda on which John revenue,with the consequent collapse of China's credit in the financial Hay based his“Open Door'”proposals in18g9. markets of the world.That these evils were avoided was largely due From the long-range point of view it may well be that the verdict to the firmness,tact,skill,patience and loyalty with which the Com- of posterity on the many activities of the Chinese Customs Service will missioners at the ports handled the situation,as well as to the be that the greatest benefit it has conferred on the Chinese nation has reasonableness of the majority of the Chinese officials. been through its unifying and centralizing influence.In its early years Finally,the Chinese Customs Service is an outstanding example of the forces of disorder were threatening the dissolution of the Empire, how international diversities can be fused to serve the interests of all. and one of the gravest problems facing not only Chinese statesmen but In the cosmopolitan nature of its staff,in the international character of also the foreign representatives accredited to the Court of Peking was its duties and responsibilities,in the range of its interests,and in its that of maintaining the authority of the Central Government.The ideals of public service,the Chinese Customs Service has not inaptly diplomats,on the principle that union is strength,wished,it is true,by been termed a precursor of the League of Nations,functioning,it is true, a policy of co-operation to pool their diplomatic gains and to resist only in China and as a Chinese institution,but none the less a cosmo- infringement of treaty rights,but they also wished,if possible,to politan league working for the welfare and advancement of the Chinese6 HART AND THE CHINESE CUSTOMS so successful was it that in 1878 China was invited tQjoin the Inter￾national Postal Union. That step, however, was deferred, as the I Chan, the l\1in: Chil, and the foreign postal agencies in China had not then been absorbed or eliminated. It was not till March 1896 that an Imperial Decree was issued creating an Imperial Post for all China to be organized on Western lines under the management of the Inspector￾General of Customs, and subject to the supervision of the Tsungli Yamen and later of the Wai-wu-Pu. By 1911 the Postal Service, which up till then had been a regular charge on Customs funds, had so developed as to be able to assume financial independence, and in that year the Post Office passed from under Customs control and became a department of the Yu-ch'uan Pu.5 Even high diplomacy and treaty negotiations have been included in the range of the Service's activities. The treaty of Tientsin (1858) and its attached Rules of Trade owed much of their comprehensiveness and practicability to the experience, skill, and forcefulness of H. N. Lay, the first Inspector-General. Hart carried on the tradition in happier vein by his work for, and unceasing support of, the Alcock convention (1869)-a convention which, to her own and to China's detriment, Great Britain failed to ratify-by his mediation at a critical moment in 1875 to avert, after the Margary murder, the rupture of diplomatic relations between Great Britain and China, by his deft and tactful handling, with the invaluable aid of J. D. Campbell, of the delicate negotiations which successfully terminated in the Protocol of Paris (1885) and the Protocol of Lisbon (1887), by his expert advice and willing assistance to the representatives of various foreign Governments at Peking when they were negotiating trade treaties with China, and by the agreements, signed by him as China's representative with the colonial authorities of Hongkong, Lappa, Tsingtau, and Dairen for the establishing of Custom houses at these places. Yet other treaty negotiations in which the Inspector-General, through the agency of his Commissioners, took a hand were those which resulted in the commercial treaties of 1902 and 1903, those for the regulations regarding trade. etc., attached to the Sikkim-Tibet convention of 1890, those for the Sungari River tr~de, those for the agreement relating to through traffic on the Antung-Mukden and Corean railways, and those for the recently signed Customs agreement with Hongkong. Here, too, should be mentioned the part played by Hippisley in writing the Memoranda on which John Hay based his "Open Door" proposals in 1899. From the long-range point of view it may well be that the verdict of posterity on the many activities of the Chinese Customs Service will be that the greatest benefit it has conferred on the Chinese nation has been through its unifying and centralizing influence. In its e.rrly years the forces of disorder were threatening the dissolution of the Empire, and one of the gravest problems facing not only Chinese statesmen but also the foreign representatives accredited to the Court of Peking was that of maintaining the authority of the Central Government. The diplomats, on the principle that union is strength, wished, it is true, by a policy of co-operation to pool their diplomatic gains and to resist infringement of treaty rights, but they also wished, if possible, to HART AND THE CHINESE CUSTOMS 7 strength~n t~e Cer:tral Government, vis-a-vis the provincial authorities, by maI:ing It realIze that it, and it alone on the Chinese side, was res.ponsIble for the executior: of th.e treaties. ~n this latter respect, both ~hI~es~ statesmen .and foreIgn dIplomats qUIckly recognized that the mstltutmg of a ulllform Customs system at all the open ports was, in eff~ct: the creation for the Central Government of an invaluable ~lllfYlI:g and cer:t~alizir:g auxiliary. This was something of a novelty m .Chme~e admll;llstratIve methods, one of the guiding principles of whIch . t~lther~o had been to leave the initiative to the provincial authOrItIes whIlst the central power contented itself. in the main with regist~rin~ and criticising all such local administra;ive actions. As an orgalll~a~IOn cont~olled by the Imperial-and not the provincial￾authormes, collectmg revenu~ at all the open ports for the disposal of the <?entra~ Government, controlling foreign trade in accordance with treatIes ratIfied by that Government, and in all other matters carryinrr out the orde~s of t.hat Government-while remaining on a friendly and. help~l footmg WIth the provincial authorities-the Customs Service acqUIr~d throughout the country a special significance and influence ~s an mstrume.nt of t~e central power, and as a unifying agency radical lI~terfer.ence WIth whIch ~y. local administrations would spell political dISr~ptIon. The only polItIcal creed which the head of the Service at Peking ~nd his Commissi?ners at. the ports could profess was that of unswervmg loyalty to the mternatIOnally recognized Government of the country;-a loyalty gratefully acknowledged again and again by the late E:upress Dowager to her trusted Inspector-General and similarly recoglllzed by subsequent Republican Governments. That creed was a~ways paramount, although at times of civil disorder it had, in certain distr~c~s, to. be .held with a recognition of temporary de facto local admmI~tratIOns m revolt against that Government. Perhaps at no time was thIS more clearly exemplified than during the Revolution of 191. 1-?9 12. Tha~ was an upheaval which threatened chaos, not only pOhtIC~1 and SOCial but also commercial and financial. In the provinces se.paratIsm became the order of the day, and separatism-if allowed free rem--::wo~ld hav~ meant the disintegration of the Service as an orgalllzatIOn makmg. for unity and centralization, the choking of the channel. through ~hIch flowed China's foreign trade, and inevitably a default m :he serVIce of the foreign obligations secured on the Customs revenue, With the consequent collapse of China's credit in the financial markets of the world .. !hat ~ese evils· were avoided was largely due to. ~e firmness, tact, skIll, patIence and loyalty with which the Com￾mISSIOners at the ports handled the situation, as well as to the reasonableness of the majority of the Chinese officials. 6 ~inally, ~he Chi~ese. ~ustoms Service is an outstanding example of how mternatIOnal dIVersitIes can be fused to serve the interests of all. ~n the .cosmopolitan nature of its staff, in the international character of ~ts dutIes and .respor:sibilities, i~ the range of its interests, and in its deals of publIc serVICe, the Chmese Customs Service has not inaptly ~erme~ a precursor of the League of Nations, functioning, it is true, m Chma and as a Chinese institution, but none the less a cosmo￾league working for the welfare and advancement of the Chinese