Who's Who in China (3rd edition)/Chang Chia-ao

Mr. Chang Kia-ngau

張嘉璈字公權

(Chang Chia-ao)

Mr. Chang Kia-ngau was born at Paoshan Hsien, Kiangsu, in 1888. At the age of thirteen, he studied in the School of Foreign Languages which was located in the Kiangnan Arsenal and in which, Lu Chwang-hsiang, Chinese Minister to Switzerland and Liu Ching-jen, former Chinese Minister to Russia, also received their education. After studying three years in that institution Mr. Chang entered the Politique School in Peking, where he studied for one year and a half. In recognition of his scholarship, he was sent by the school to Japan to pursue a higher education. While in Japan Mr. Chang studied economics at the Keio University. After the completion of his courses, he returned to China and joined the Board of Communications as a senior clerk. When the first revolution broke out, he went to Shanghai and actively participated in politics. In the first year of the Republic, Mr. Chang was appointed Secretary to the Military Governor of Chekiang, late General Chu Jui. When the formal Parliament met before the second revolution in 1913, he was made the Chief Secretary of the Senate. After the dissolution of Parliament by the late President Yuan Shih-kai, Mr. Chang joined the Bank of China. Subsequently he was appointed vice-manager of the Shanghai branch. Since 1914 Mr. Chang has been in the service of that Bank. During the third revolution against the monarchical movement of Yuan Shih-kai in 1915, the government proposed the suspension of specie payment. Mr. Chang strongly objected to the proposal, but as he could not change the decision of the government in this matter, he redeemed all the Shanghai notes of the Bank of China with silver dollars. In the autumn of 1917 when Liang Chi-chiao was appointed Minister of Finance, he invited Mr. Chang to become the vice-governor of the Bank of China, which offer he accepted. He was elected a member of the board of directors by the shareholders at the beginning of 1919, and was also re-appointed vice-governor. In June 1922 he was again re-elected Vice-Governor of the Bank, which position he is still holding. In July 1922, he was appointed a member of all China Finance Discussion Commission. Mr. Chang is a Chinese scholar, like his brother, Carson Chang. He knows English and Japanese and speaks some French.