Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 1.pdf/74

Rh carried out his duties from May to July, returning to America in August.

At this time Chang Yin-huan and Bayard negotiated a new treaty between the two countries, which was signed on March 12, 1888, stipulating that immigration of Chinese laborers should be absolutely prohibited for a period of twenty years; that those who had returned to China would be allowed to come back to America only if they could meet certain qualifications; and that a sum of $276,619.75 would be paid to Chinese victims of various mob attacks other than the one at Rock Springs. The text of this treaty was then sent to Peking for ratification and Chang spent several months at Lima, Peru, to attend to his duties as minister plenipotentiary to that country. While he was away news came to Washington of China's desire to make some alterations or amendments to the treaty because the Chinese in America were dissatisfied with some of its provisions. Moreover, a rumor was circulated by irresponsible persons that China had rejected the treaty in its entirety. Thereupon Congress passed a bill absolutely forbidding Chinese laborers to land, including those who sought re-entry after a sojourn in China. When Chang returned to Washington he could do nothing to improve the situation. He had always favored some kind of regulation of emigration by China herself and foresaw that the alternative would be severer restrictions by the United States Government. The treaty he had laboriously negotiated came to naught—wrecked indirectly by his shortsighted fellow-Cantonese who composed almost the entire Chinese population then in America. Yet these same people blamed him for having failed to prevent the harsh regulations which were finally imposed by the United States Government. Though Li Hung-chang and other high officials tried to console him, on the ground that it was not his fault, his unpopularity among his fellow Cantonese persisted for many years. Up to this time it had become almost a tradition for a Cantonese to be sent as minister to Washington, the first three, Ch'ên Lan-pin, Chêng Tsao-ju, and Chang Yin-huan having come from that region. Hereafter the tradition was broken, for Chang's successor, Ts'ui Kuo-yin 崔國因, was a native of T'ai-p'ing, Anhwei.

During more than three years in Washington Chang Yin-huan lived luxuriously at the legation at Dupont Circle. He made many friends in the city and held receptions which sometimes comprised as many as a thousand guests. He enjoyed travel, and frequented the theatre and other forms of entertainment. It is not surprising, therefore, that Li Hung-chang wrote to the next minister, Ts'ui Kuo-yin, that Chang had lived extravagantly and beyond his means. The charge, however, was not wholly just, for Chang had thus learned much about American life and about foreign relations. He returned to China by way of Europe and reached Peking in March 1890. In that same year he presented to the Emperor a diary of his "Life on Three Continents", 三洲日記 San-chou jih-chi, 8 chüan, printed in 1896.

Upon his return to Peking Chang Yin-huan was again ordered to serve in the Tsung-li Yamen with the rank of director of the Court of the Imperial Stud. In 1892 he was made concurrently senior vice-president of the Board of Revenue in which capacity he became intimately acquainted with, president of that Board. In December 1894 the Court was ready to make peace with Japan, the armed forces of China having suffered defeat on land and sea. Chang and Shao Yu-lien (then governor of Taiwan) were appointed joint ambassadors to inquire concerning the terms of peace. They reached Kobe late in January 1895, but were rejected by Japan on the ground that they had not been given sufficient powers. As is well known, the responsibility for the negotiations then devolved on Li Hung-chang. Early in 1896, after Li had set out on his tour of Europe and America, Chang Yin-huan was appointed envoy plenipotentiary to negotiate with the Japanese minister at Peking a commercial treaty, which was signed on July 21, 1896.

In 1897 Chang represented China in London at the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, visiting at the same time several other European capitals. Before returning he resided for a time in London to look after the payment of the second installment of the indemnity to Japan resulting from the war of 1894–95. To pay the first installment China had arranged for a loan in Russia. By threats and coercion Great Britain obtained the privilege of making the second loan, and this loan Chang Yin-huan supervised in London. When he resumed his duties in Peking in 1897, or early in 1898, it was clear that China had to contract another loan to pay the third and final installment. Once more Russia and Great Britain struggled fiercely for the privileges which went with it. In order not to 62