Who's Who in China (3rd edition)/Wu Ping-hsiang

General Wu Ping-hsiang

吳炳湘字鏡潭

General Wu Ping-hsiang was born at He-fei Hsien, Anhui province, in 1876. He was graduated from the military college attached to the fore-division of the Wu Wei Chun, which army in five divisions altegether was organized in 1899. After graduation he became a Deputy of his Division. After the Boxer Trouble, he was transferred to Shantung. During the following ten years under the Ching government he held at different times the following positions: Proctor of Shantung Educational Bureau; Proctor of the Manchurian Transportation Bureau; Chief of Martial Court attached to Huai Chun Army in Chihli; Commander of Shantung Emergency Defence Forces; and Police Taotai of Shantung, this latter position he was appointed to shortly before the First Revolution during which he maintained local order and on several occasions exhibited his personal bravery. In 1913 General Wu came to Peking and accepted the appointment of Chief of the Secret Service in the President's Office. In October 1913 he was appointed Chief of the Metropolitan Constabulary and concurrently Associate Director of the Metropolitan Municipal Administration. When Chang Hsun tried to restore the Manchu Throne, in the summer of 1917, General Wu was appointed by Imperial Decree and also Chief of the Metropolitan Police. On that occassion, there was a street fight between Chang Hsun's troops and the republican troops under the command of Marshal Tuan Chi-jui, but General Wu's police did not show the least sign of giving up their task of preserving order. After the overthrow of the Restoration, Marshal Tuan took General Wu into high confidence and he was made a Major General subsequently. He was also given the Fourth Order of Merit. In June 1919 he was appointed concurrently Director of the Government Grain Transportation Bureau and also acting director of the Metropolitan Administration. In July 1919 he was awarded the First Class Wenfu. In January 1920 he was given the First Class Tashou Paokuang Chiaho and also appointed to be concurrently the Director of the Metropolitan Municipal Administration. In July 1920, after the downfall of the Anfu Club with which he had been in close connection, he was relieved of all the posts. Subsequently he was deprived of all the honors. Since that time he has been living in retirement at Peking.