Who's Who in China (3rd edition)/Sung Hsiao-lien

General Sung Hsiao-lien

宋小漲字友梅

General Sung Hsiao-lien was born at Kirin, Kirin province, in 1864. After having studied in the regular Confucian schools, he joined the government service. Under the Ching Regime he held successively the following positions: a court secretary at Heilungkiang province; director of the Foreign Affairs Bureau connected with the Harbin Railway; Taotai of Hailar, Brigadier General at Hurunpir, Heilungkiang; Deputy Commissioner of Civil Administration of Heilungkiang from March 1911; Commissioner, from December 1911; and Governor of the province during the First Revolution. In March 1912, the Peking government appointed General Sung the Tutu or Military Governor of Heilungkiang. In August 1913 h3 resigned on account of opposition from the Russians. In May 1914 he was appointed by Yuan Shih-kai as a member of the State Council. He lived an inactive life until June 1920 when he was appointed Director General of the Chinese Eastern Railway. It was he who ordered that the Russians guilty of the Chinese law be bambooed in the regular ancient fashion, thus making himself unpopular with the Russians in Harbin. He was given the Second Class Paokuang Chiaho in January 1921; relieved of the directorship in January 1922; and given the Second Class Tashou Paokuang Chiaho in December 1922.