Who's Who in China (3rd edition)/Shih Chao-tseng

Mr. Sze Sao-tseng

施肇會字省之

(Shih Chao-tseng)

Mr. Sze Sao-tseng was born at Soochow, Kiangsu province, in 1868, his ancestral home being Chinkiang. He is the elder brother of Mr. Alfred Sze, Chinese Minister, Washington. After having received education from regular Confucian schools, he served under the Ching regime as expectant magistrate and later as expectant prefect. He rendered good service in the flooit relief works in north China. Mr. Sze was attache to the Chinese Legation at Washington from 1893 to 1895 and was Consul-General at New York from 1896 to 1897. In the winter of 1897 he returned to China and at once became the superintendent of the Hangyang Iron Works. From 1898 to 1905 he was connected with the construction of the Peking Hankow Railway. He was Commissioner of the Shanghai-Nanking Railway, from 1905 to 1907; and its managing director from 1907 to 1909. In 1910 he was appointed director of the Peking Hankow Railway. From 1910 to 1912 he was director of the China Merchants Inland Navigation Company, serving at the same time as a member of the Board of Directors of the China Merchants Steam Navigation Company. In 1913 he was appointed Director-General of the Lung-Hai Railway and also of the Tatung-Chengtu Railway. The Central Hospital in Peking, which was opened to the public in January 1918, was promoted and built by Mr. Sze with the assistance of his many friends. His son, Dr. Philip Sze, graduate of the medical department of George Washington University, acted for him as the superintendent of the Hospital for several years. In 1918 he travelled in Europe on an important mission in connection with the financial situation of the Lung-Hai railway. In 1919 he was awarded the Second Class Paokuang Chiaho and the Second Class Wenfu. In January 1920 he received the First Class Tashou Chiaho. In October 1922 he was relieved of the post of Director-General of the Lung-Hai Railway which he had held since 1913. Since 1922 he has been in retirement.