Who's Who in China (3rd edition)/Hsu Chien

Mr. George Hsu

徐謙字季龍

(Hsu Ch'ien)

Mr. George Hsu was born at Nanchang, Kiangsi province, in 1872. His father, who was a district magistrate, died while he was a child, and at the age of nine he moved wiith his uncle to Soochow and later to Peking. Mr. Hsu studied in Peking until he became a Metropolitan graduate or Han-lin. Then he entered the Chin Shih Kuan, a post-graduate school for those having passed the third literary examination. There he studied foreign law for three years. On completing his studies he was appointed a Councillor of the Board of Justice. In 1906, Tai Hung-tzu, then President of the Board of Justice, returned from his tour abroad. Mr. Hsu made suggestions to him to separate the judicial functions of the governmennt from the executive. This brought the organization of district courts and the Supreme Court in Peking. Mr. Hsu was appointed Chief Justice of the Peking Local Court. In 1907 Mr. Hsu was promoted to the position of Attorney-General of the Higher Court of Peking. In 1910 Mr. Hsu attended as Chinese Delegate the Eighth International Prison Conference at Washington D. C., visiting the leading European capitals about the same time. Upon his return to Peking, he was appointed Vice-President of the Board of Justice, holding this position until the Revolution of 1911. After the peace pact in Shanghai, January 1912, Mr. Hsu was appointed Vice-President of the Supreme Court in Peking. In April 1912 he was appointed Vice-Minister of Justice in Tang Shao-i's Cabinet. For sometime he acted for the Minister of Justice, Dr. Wang Chung-hui, who did not assume office. Mr. Hsu resigned from the Ministry of Justice in July 1912 because he disliked Yuan Shih-kai's absolute rule. Then he went to Shanghai and joined Dr. Sun Yat-sen's party. During the Second Revolution, in the summer of 1913, Mr. Hsu was practising law in Shanghai before the Mixed and Native Courts. He remained there for three years. Yuan Shih-kai died in June 1916. Li Yuan-hung became President and Tuan Chi-jui Prime Minister. In September 1916 Mr. Hsu was appointed Vice-Minister of Justice. Before the dissolution of Parliament on June 13, 1917, by President Li Yuan-hung, Mr. Hsu strongly opposed President Li's taking such an unconstitutional step. On June 16, his resignation was officially accepted. Immediately after his resignation, Mr. Hsu proceeded to Shanghai where he spent three months, while Peking witnessed the beginning and end of General Chang Hsun's attempt to restore the Manchu Monarch. Meanwhile the members of the dissolved Parliament gathered at Canton. Dr. Sun went there on July 19. On July 22, the First Squadron of the Chinese Navy headed by Admiral Ch'en Pi-kuang declared its independence and sailed to Canton. A military government was immediately established with Dr. Sun as Generalissimo. On August 27, the Extraordinary Parliament was inaugurated at Canton, Mr. Hsu was invited by Dr. Sun to be his Chief Secretary which he readily accepted. In January 1918 a Southwestern government was formed at Canton. Dr. Sun, General Tsen Chun-hsuan, Dr. Wu Ting-fang, General Tang Chi-yao, General Lu Yung-ting and Admiral Ch'en Pi-kuang were elected administrators. Mr. Hsu became Dr. Sun's representative on the Administrative Council, concurrently acting as Minister of Justice. Mr. Hsu was one of the first to advocate a peace conference between the North and the South for the settling of their differences. Immediately after the armistice had been proclaimed in France, in November 1918, Mr. Hsu suggested the idea in an article in the Peking Leader, and drafted a wire to President Hsu suggesting that both sides send an equal number of delegates to Shanghai to discuss a reconciliation. The Canton Administrative Council and the representatives of the Southern provinces and troops of the Military governnment passed favorably on his suggestion, and the telegram as drafted was wired to Peking on November, 1918. being at the same time delivered to the consulates of the Powers in Canton. It was at least two days later that the memorandum of the five Powers advising a peace conference was delivered by the various consulatesgeneral and legations in Canton and Peking. In 1919 Mr. Hsu was asked by the Canton government to attend the Paris Peace Conference as advisor to the Chinese Delegation and also by the Chinese Christian bodies to represent their interests unofficially at the Conference. Upon his return from Paris at the end of August 1919, two months after the signing of the Versailles Treaty, Mr. Hsu found Dr. Sun in Shanghai, having severed connection with the Southern government and left Canton. Mr. Hsu sent in his resignation as Minister of Justice, which however, was not accepted. Then Mr. Hou went to Tientsin and took up the chief editorship of the Social Welfare. Upon the return of Dr. Sun to power in Canton late 1920, Mr. Hsu resumed his activities with the movement. He was President of the Supreme Court of the Constitutional government and was charged also with the duties of the Minister of Justice. In June 1922, Li Yuan-hung became President in Peking again. Parliament was reconvcked. In September 1922 President Li appointed Mr. Hsu; Acting Minister of Justice. He did not assume office and was officially relieved of this post in November 1922. In October 1922 he was awarded by President Li the First Class Tashou Chiaho Decoration. Mr. Hsu is still in Canton holding several positions. He was a faithful follower of Dr. Sun Yat-sen. When not in office, Mr. Hsu practices law privately. He is a Christian, and in spite of his many duties in Canton Mr. Hsu finds time to conduct Bible classes and also answer the frequent calls to preach in the churches of the city. He is now Chancellor of the Central University recently established by the Southern government at Canton.