LI HUNG CHANG.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 94, 16 December 1912, Page 4

LI HUNG CHANG.

That most famous of modern Chinese statesmen under the old regime—L; Hung Chang—wrote a rather remarkable diary, and some extracts from it have been lately published in London. When Li Hung Chang got back tf China after his visit to Europe n 1896, he wrote: “Often and often 1 had studied over the maps of the countries of the world, and I know, ol course, that Russia was a far-reachi ijEmpire, but I had to travel it to know fully how immense and solid it is. There arc vast plains and tremendous, mountains, but there are no seas noi oceans coming in between, and I can not help thinking how much more solic and substantial this Empire, with its islands and possessions scattered lik< fowl over a large barnyard. China h much like Russia in this respect, too and it is said that our nation has no! yet learned how to make all parts oi it stand together as one against the outsider. There is this difference be tween China and Russia: Many ol the nations agree to harass China, but' not any of them will bother Rus sia. If Russia did not want to contra us in all our home affairs, what i strong alliance would be possible be tween us!” In another note the Vico roy deals with liars thus: “Liars art the worst people in all classes, I be lieve. . . . Tseng. (Li’s,

tells me that he has been approachec. by a number of very common peoph and asked if it is' true that I told tin Empress that our Imperial Princesse. would have more and better children if they followed the Tsaritsa’s example. What lies! What vicious, monkey faced lies! Anyone with sense would know that even if I dared I never would address such language to Her Majesty or the ladies of the blood. I interest myself not at all in the inner doing of the Court, for it is enough that any man shall keep his own household in order. . . .L said not

one word which might, seen either through a mountain gapway or the ey< of a needle, reflect at all upon tin ladies of the Court. I did praise the Russian Tsaritsa, but I dispraised nc: one else.