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Chungking 1944
January January 1: Started to cross the river* to call on Minister of Finance, but found about 500 people waiting for the ferry, so called it off and came home. At 11, all the Secretaries and Assistant Secretaries came to call on me. About 30 or 40 here. We had biscuits and tea, and several of us made remarks. Banister spoke well, as did C.C. Tso. At 3, I got Customs launch and crossed river. Called at Fan Chuang, and wrote my name in the Visitors Book. Also went to Li Tongs house, but he was out. Picked up an old chap named Dr. Liu, who was a boyhood friend and schoolmate of Dr. Kung at Tungchow (Amer. Board School). He knew Dr. Martin, Dr. Smith and all the Peking old-timers. At dinner, had a glass of French claret. The boys down-stairs saved half a bottle for me a very thoughtful gesture!

Min River () Tso Chang-Chin () Li Tong () Kung Hsiang-Hsi ( 18811967) was a wealthy Chinese banker and politician in the early 20th century. He was highly influential in determining the economic policies of the Nationalist Party government in the 1930s and 1940s. He was known as the richest man in China at that time. Kung was an early supporter of Sun Yat-sen, and worked with Wang Jingwei before serving in the government of Chiang Kai-shek. Kung began his political career as the Minister of Industry, holding this position from 19271929 in the Wuhan Nationalist Government, led by Wang Jingwei. After the fall of Wang's government, Kung served as the Minister of Industry and Commerce from 19281931 in the Nanking Nationalist Government, and later as the Minister of Finance, from 1933 1944. Kung later became the Governor of the Central Bank of China, from 19331945. In 1927 one of his first acts in government was to balance the national budget. Kung joined the central executive committee of the Nationalist Party in 1931. He served as Premier of the Republic of China from 1 January 1938 20 November 1939. Kung then served as the Vice-Premier of the Executive Yuan, from 19351945. After the retreat of the KMT to Taiwan at the end of the Chinese Civil War, he moved to the United States. Kung died in 1967 in Locust Valley, New York.

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The Chinese Journals of L K Little, 194354

January 2: To Lott Weis house at Huang Kuo Yeh. Found out that it is Lotts 54th birthday. T.V. Soong,* Tsuyee Pei and Dr. Li Shu-fan there when I arrived, but did not stay for lunch. We were about 20 for lunch (all Chinese but me) and had most delicious noodles-fine, like vermicelli-in chicken broth. I wish all Chinese food was like that! After lunch, sat around and talked, while most of the guests played mahjong. After coffee and birthday cake, I left at 4:30 and walked home in 45 minutes. They asked me to stay to dinner, but I find 4 hours of the talk and laughter and bustle of a party are quite enough. Had a nice steak dinner all by myself, and read most of evening. Society Racket, - an English appraisal of English society in the 1930s; not flattering.

Soong Tse-Ven ( 18911971) was a prominent businessman and politician in Nationalist China. His father was Charlie Soong and his siblings were the Soong sisters. His Christian name was Paul, but he is generally known in English as T. V. Soong. As brother to the three Soong sisters, Soongs brothers-in-law were Dr. Sun Yat-sen, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, and financier H. H. Kung. Born in Shanghai, Soong received his education at St. Johns University in Shanghai before going on to Harvard University. After graduating in 1915 with a degree in Economics, he worked briefly in New York at the International Banking Corporation and took courses at Columbia University. Upon returning to China he worked for several industrial enterprises, and was then recruited by Sun Yat-sen to develop finances for his Canton government. After the success of Chiang Kai-sheks Northern Expedition in 1927, Soong served in a succession of offices in the Kuomintang-controlled government, including governor of the Central Bank of China (19281934) and minister of finance (19281933). During his tenure as Finance Minister, he achieved the balancing of the budget. He resigned in 1933, displeased with Chiang Kai-sheks appeasement of Japan and attempts to placate Japanese aggression). He later returned to service as Minister of Foreign Affairs (19421945), and as President of the Executive Yuan (19451947). With the defeat of the Nationalists in the Chinese Civil War, he moved to New York and lived there until his death while on a business trip to San Francisco at the age of 79. Tsuyee Pei (/Bei Zuyi also known as /Bei Songsun 18921973) graduated from Soochow University, joined in the Bank of China in 1914. In 1946 Bei was appointed the President of the Bank of China in charge of the control of Chinas foreign exchange and hyper-inflation, but he was forced to resign in 1947. Li Shu-fan ( 18871966) surgical doctor, native of Canton, joined the Revolutionaries in 1905. He graduated from the Hong Kong College of Medicine in 1908 and from University of Edinburgh in 1911. In 1926, he was named to head the Yeung Wo Nursing Home, which under his leadership was reorganized and renamed to the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital. He retired from medical practice in 1958, but remained Chairman of the Board and Medical Superintendent until his death in 1966. He was also a member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council from 19371941. He also had an autobiography, Hong Kong Surgeon (New York : Dutton, 1964)

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January 3: Spoke at Memorial Service and gave a little pep talk. To Ministry to call on Y.C. Koo* and O.K. Yui, and congratulate them on their New Years decorations. Also called on Chief Sec. (Li). To dentist, Dr. An, who charged me $900 for replacing 3 porcelain fillings. At official rate, this = U.S. $45. At special rate (which I get), = U.S. $30. Pretty steep, but C.N. $100 has less than G.Y. $1.00 pre-war purchasing power, so, from the dentists point of view, he didnt overcharge me. January 4: Had Li Tong and four of his staff to lunch. Also, Lu, Banister, Fang and Sung. Russians have crossed old Polish Frontier. Gardener sick for several days; he is at Rouses house on Second Range. Rouse tells me his boy threatens to leave if Gardener stays! Eichholzer (S.V. Co.) sent me Time of December 6 and 13 yesterday; this is by far the quickest of any magazines I have seen from America.
* Y. C. Koo (19182011), economist, graduated from St. Jones University in 1940 and received master degree from University of Illinois in1941 and PhD from Harvard University in 1946. He was appointed the member of the ROC delegation in the United Nations in 1945 and technical attach. After 1949, he stayed in Michigan and taught economics at Michigan State University and Michigan University. O. K. Yui ( 18981960), native of Canton, economic and financial technocrat of the Nationalist government, graduated from the western literature department at St. Jones University. He was famous for his excellent command in English and finance. Before the Second Sino-Japanese war, he was appointed the Secretary General of the Shanghai Municipal government and the Mayor of Shanghai. During the war, he was nominated the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Finance. After the War, he was appointed the Governor of the Central Bank of China. In 1949, he went to Taiwan with the Nationalist Party and passed away in Taiwan. He held the Governorship before he was appointed the Governor of Taiwan in 1953. Then he became the Premier of the Executive Yuan from 1954 to 1958. Lu Ping () Thomas Roger Banister was born on the 8th February 1890 at Preston, Lancashire, England, and was educated at Trent College and at St. Johns College, Cambridge, where he graduated with Honours in the Economic Tripos. He joined the Customs Service in December 1913 and, after four months at Canton, was appointed to Peking to study the language. During 1916 and 1917 he was stationed at Chefoo, and after that at Shanghai, where the greater part of his Service career has been spent. He was promoted Deputy Commissioner in 1930 and Commissioner in April 1935. In 1932 he was appointed Acting Commissioner at Kiungchow for six months. He held the post of Audit Secretary from October 1934 to April 1938 and was then transferred as Commissioner to Lappa. During 1931 and 1932 he was on special duty at the Inspectorate writing his survey of Chinas trade during 100 years, entitled A History of the External Trade of China, 183481, and Synopsis of the External Trade of China, 18821931, both of which appeared as an introduction to the Decennial Reports, 192231. During those two years Banister also wrote his well-known and interesting account of Chinas Lights Service under the title The Coastwise Lights of China, a beautifully illustrated work which tells in vivid language and with a wealth of detail the romantic story of the lighting of Chinas coast and rivers. Fang Tu ()

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The Chinese Journals of L K Little, 194354

January 5: Lu told me that draft (Chinese) of my dispatch to Pu* and Shu re staff reorganization had been altered by a Clerk in Chinese Secretarys office! Lu gave Sung hell, and fixed everything up. If it comes to me officially, Ill have to dismiss the clerk concerned. January 6: American Embassy sent me a curious telegram from Maze, sent through the Consulate at Capetown via the State Dept., enquiring whether I wanted the documents that he took away with him! He offers them on condition that I regard them as secret, confidential and personnel. Lu Pings health is not good, and I am worried about him. I hear that the bachelor Clerks and girl *Typists have all certified that they are about to be married (in order to get emergency grant at married rate). January 7: Damp and cold. Had calculation of what we paid Loy Chang, D.G. of K.W.S.,** last year. Altogether, C.N. $6,000,000, of which he retained at least
* Tsai-cheng Pu, Minister of Finance Guanwushu, Directorate of Customs Affairs Sir Frederick Maze (18711959), son of James Maze and Mary, daughter of Henry hart, was born in Belfast. He was educated at Wesley College, Dublin and privately. He served first in Chefoo and Newchwang for a few years and was appointed afterwards to the Inspectorate General of Customs in Beijing, where he remained for some six years, leaving on the 17th March 1900 as Deputy Commissioner. On the 20th June 1906 he was promoted to be Commissioner, having in the meantime served at Ichang, Foochow, Canton, and Kongmoon, at which last-named port he took a leading part in drafting the West River Regulations. As Commissioner he had served at Tengyueh ( June 1906 to December 1908), Canton (March 1911 to April 1915), Tientsin (April 1915 to October 1920), Hankow (October 1921 to October 1925) and shanghai (October 1925 to 9th January 1929). In 1927 he was offered the posts of Chief Commissioner, Deputy Inspector-General, and southern Inspector-General, but declined to accept. He was appointed deputy Inspector-General by the Nationalist government in October 1928 and Inspector-General in January 1929. Before the Second Sino-Japanese war, Maze led the Chinese Maritime Customs through all Nationalist warlords factionalism and kept working with T. V. Soong and H. H. Kung. After the outbreak of the War, he instructed the staff in the Inspectorate to stay in Shanghai and collaborated with the Foreign Office of Britain to negotiated with Japan. He successfully maintained the integrity of Chinese Maritime Customs till the outbreak of the Pacific War. Immediately after the outbreak of the Pacific War, Maze was dismissed by the bogus Nationalist government and was replaced by Chief Secretary Kishimoto Hirokichi. He was imprisoned in Bridge House till May 1942. After he was released, Maze went back to Chongqing and resumed charge of Inspector-General in March 1941 and stayed on the post for three months. Then he ended his career in China with full pension. Loy Chang () DG, Director-General ** KWS, Guanwushu, Directorate of Customs Affairs

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$2,000,000. (Lu Ping claims he retained over $4,000,000). This is in addition to the official budget of his office and of the Customs College. I wonder how much of this he has safely banked or invested? Some of it, of course, went to his own clique of retainers, and I suppose, some was split with other officials, but the job of D.G. must still be one of the sweetest plums in China. January 8: Buffet luncheon here; Gauss, Atcheson, Richards, Col. Brown from U.S. Embassy; Mr. and Mrs. Hassel (Norwegian Ambassador); Sir Frederick Eggleston (Australian Minister); Gen. Wu Te-chen* (Sec. Gen. of Kuomintang); Tsang Yung-fu (Minister of Communications); Andrew Lu; Tsuyee Pei (Bank of China); and daughter Mrs. Chan; K.K. Kwok (Central Bank); Li Tong, (D.G. of K.W.S.); Francis and Cecilia Pan; and from Customs: Banister; Hopstock; Liu Ping I and Chang Yung Nien. Sir Frederick Eggleston, the old ass, came across river at Hai Tang Chi without letting me know, with result that my launch, with all other guests aboard, waited 20 minutes at Wang Lung Men for him. Cook made delicious food, including baked beans. All left at 3, and at 4, Frank Howard of Chase Bank came and talked semi-business for 1-1/2 hours. I was tired at 5:20!

Wu Te-chen ( 18881953), Nationalist general, native of Canton, joined the Revolutionaries in 1909 and fought against President Yuan Shi-kai in 1913. Then he fled to Japan with Sun Yat-sen and studies law at Meji University. Wu joined Suns Military government in 1917 and loyally served under Sun Yat-sen. In 1932 he was appointed the Mayor of Shanghai and the Governor of Canton in 1937. After the War, he was appointed the Vice President of Executive Yuan and held the Minister of Foreign Affairs concurrently in 1948. In 1949 he moved to Taiwan with the Nationalist Party and passed away in 1953. S. Hopstock: Norwegian Commissioner, made Commissioner in April 1941, Liu Ping-I () Chang Yung-Nien ( 18931964), a native of Beijing, was educated at the Customs College and joined the Service in 1916 as a probationer. He was appointed to Newchwang, wherein 1917 he was made 3rd Clerk C. After two years service at Newchwang and two years at Harbin he was transferred to the Inspectorate at Peking, where he remained for five years, and where he was promoted to Assistantship rank. From 1925 to 1929 he was stationed at Chefoo. During 1930 he was on duty in the Yangyu Native Customs, and from 1931 to 1934 he was at Shanghai in Appraising Department and on special duty. From the latter part of 1934 he had been occupied in preventive work along the Great Wall and in the Tientsin area. He was promoted Deputy Commissioner in 1938. During the Second Sino-Japanese war, he stayed in the Inspectorate General of Customs in Shanghai but managed to flee to Chongqing in November 1943. Hence, he was made Staff Secretary (Commissioner ). After the war, he allied with Ting Kwei-tang and fought for better treatments of the Chinese staff. When the Nationalist Party evacuated from Shanghai, he decided to stay in Shanghai with Ting and accepted the post of Deputy Commissioner of the Shanghai Customs station in the Peoples Customs Service.

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The Chinese Journals of L K Little, 194354

January 9: Walked up to I Tien Men and back in morning; spent rest of day quietly in house. Saw nobody. January 10: Stopped in at Navy Signals Mess to get my size in shoes. Col. Brown thinks he can get a pair of Army brogans for me. I hope so, because ordinary shoes arent tough enough to take the strain of Chungking mud and steps. January 11: Lu Ping told me today that, although he is a sworn brother to Ting Kwei-tang,* he will refuse to work under him. Lu said that he would work for me indefinitely, but that he cannot get along with Ting, and, when Ting returns, he (Lu) will have to be given another job. Lus health still worries me, and I urged him to take a holiday. He is going to put in his application for retirement, but

Ting Kwei-tang (18911962) a native of Haichng, in Fngytien, entered the Customs College in 1912 and graduated in 1916. He served first at Antung for three years before being transferred to the Inspectorate at Peking, where he remained from 1919 to 1927, when he was transferred to Shanghai to take over the work of Commissioners Chinese secretary. On the transfer of the Inspectorate to Shanghai Ting became Acting Assistant Chinese Secretary (Additional), and on the 1st April 1929 was promoted Deputy Commissioner, and appointed Acting Chinese Secretary. A year later he was made full Commissioner with the post of Chinese Secretary. During the Inspector Generals short leave Ting acted as Chief Secretary (which was only second to the IG) from 1934 to 1935, after which he was detached to proceed abroad on special duty. After studying Customs systems in many foreign States, Ting returned to China and resumed duty in 1935 as Chinese Secretary at the Inspectorate. During the Second Sino-Japanese, Ting stayed in the Inspectorate General of Customs in Shanghai under Inspectors-General Sir Frederick Maze and Kishimoto Hirokichi. Then he fled to Chongqing in 1943 and he was appointed Chief Secretary by the Chongqing Officiating Inspector-General, C. H. B. Joly, on his way to Chongqing. While he was in Chongqing, he was appointed Officiating Inspector-General after Jolys retirement, but he immediately was removed from this post and appointed Deputy Inspector-General after L. K. Little became Inspector-General in August 1943. After the War, Ting was put in charge of the rehabilitation of the Inspectorate General of Customs in Shanghai and the Shanghai Customs station. Before the collapse of the Nationalist government, Ting conducted a full investigation into all major southern Customs station and negotiated with Hong Kong the Joint Agreement of Preventing Smuggling. Ting chose to stay in Shanghai when Inspector-General Little and the Nationalist government decide to evacuate to Guangzhou. He helped the Communists to rehabilitate the Inspectorate and Shanghai Customs station again and was appointed the Deputy Director-General of the Directorate General of Customs () in 1950. Then he joined the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang in 1951. Before the Anti-Rightist Movement Ting was severely condemned as he published an article to criticise the Communist Partys sectarianism, sectionalism and subjectivism on the Peoples Daily. However, he still managed to survive through this political campaign and passed away in 1962.

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will stay in Customs until the end of war if I also stay. Hsuan Te-ching, D.C.* in charge at Lungchow now under transfer to Luichow, wrote to Admiral Hsu and asked him to get Dr. Kung to disapprove the move! Adm. Hsu showed letter to Chang Yung-nien, Staff Sec. * Shades of Hart and Aglen! Rouse and Bairnsfather to lunch. Latter leaves tomorrow for 6 months special service with Brit. Army (Burma). Rouse had bad fall on way down from hills, and was badly shaken up. Fell flat on his face, with his nose striking a rock. Gardener still sick, so my foreign staff is badly shot!

Deputy Commissioner Sir Francis Aglen (18691932),son of Dean Aglen, was born on the 17th October 1869 at Scarborough, Yorkshire. After education at Marlborough College, he joined the Customs Service in 1888 as 4th Assistant, B. His promotion was more than usually rapid. After three and a half years at Peking, he served in turn for short periods at Amoy, Canton, and Tientsin, returning to the Inspectorate in 1894, where he was promoted to be Deputy Commissioner and Commissioner in 1896. In April 1899 he was appointed Commissioner at Nanking, where he remained till 1903. During the Boxer rising, when Peking was cut off from the outside world, Aglen was appointed by Inspector-General Sir Robert Hart telegram to act conjointly with F. E. Taylor as Inspector General, but did not take up the appointment. From 1903 to 1904 Aglen was once more at the Inspectorate in Peking, this time as Chief Secretary. On return from long leave he was Commissioner at Hankow from 1907 till 1910, when he moved finally to Peking, where he spent the rest of his official career-first as Deputy Inspector General, Officiating Inspector General, Acting Inspector General, from June to October 1911, and finally as Inspector General. After 1911 Aglen became the most powerful Inspector-General in the history of Chinese Maritime Customs. He was called the Supreme Minister of Finance by Wellington V. K. Koo but he still managed to survived through all political conflicts among the Northern warlords. The Northern Expedition was the biggest crisis in his career in China and this crisis also ended his career. When the Nationalists occupied Hankow in 1925 and the potential of the southern Customs stations succession was highly concerned by Aglen. Aglen decided to meet the left wing leaders of the Nationalist Party but this irritated the Beijing government. Hence, Aglen was dismissed in the first place but the government decided to grant him one-year special leave on the 10th February 1927 and his retirement would automatically effect after the leave. Something of what Aglen accomplished for China and for the Service may be gathered from the Circulars following this one. He raised the qualifying standards of the Service especially in Chinese for the foreign Indoor Staff, placed all departments on a firmer financial basis, provided better living conditions at all the main and many of the smaller ports, put into operation a liberal system of travelling and transfer allowances, and secured for the Service the supreme benefit of a Superannuation Fund. His work for Chinas finances on the basis of the Customs revenue is outstanding, and the foundations which he helped to lay for a national loan policy are the foundations on which successive Governments have built. He died in England in 1932.

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The Chinese Journals of L K Little, 194354

January 12: Presided at Secretaries meeting 3 to 6:15 when each Secretary gave a report if his department in 1943 and plans for 1944. Interesting and encouraging. Some reports too long-winded, but all sincere and some stimulating. My Secretaries have certainly given excellent support; the Assistant Secretaries, also are a promising group of men. January 13: Large number of staff petitioned for issue of February pay before Chinese New Year ( January 25). Same old story of improvidence, debt and the desire to make a showing. I really dont think that most of these people know or care that theres a war on; they think America and England will do the fighting and pay the bills. Meantime, they do as little work as possible, complain about their hard lot, and generally fail to cooperate. I had to refuse their request. I wish the esprit de corps shown by the senior Chinese and foreign staff could percolate down through the junior Chinese staff, who are relatively best off yet do most of the belly-aching. January 14: After moderately busy day in office (got off report on reconstruction and post-war needs to Kuan-wu Shu), crossed river to attend Lodge meeting, consult with Arthur Young, and spend night as his guest at Dr. Rappes house. After very nice buffet supper attended by the Lodge (C.N. $100 = U.S. $5.00) for meal that could not cost more than 50 at home), I went to the meeting and saw the 1st Degree worked on an American Army candidate. The lodge room in a school-room was cold as an ice-box, and most of us kept our coats on. I also wore my wool skull cap. The work was fairly well done, and I enjoyed the ritual. There were two candidates, but I left after the first, and went up to the house to talk with Arthur Young. Our conference was interrupted by the appearance of Dwight Edwards, Dr. Rappe and Mr. Fuller, who arrived at different times. We managed to get over most of the ground a discussion of Youngs proposal that the government should purchase abroad, on credit, certain goods for civilian use (nature as yet undetermined) for import by plane from India as transport becomes easier (C.N.A.C. expect additional planes soon) and sale at market prices. Objects: (1) gross sale price to wholesalers would go to Treasury as current revenue; (2) public would get badly-needed goods; (3) imports would tend to prevent hoarding, loosen up stocks already hoarded, and slow up inflationary price-rises. Young said Dr. Kung favors plan, but Generalissimo strongly disapproves, because he considers all available plane space must be used for direct munitions of war, etc. I myself think that Youngs plan would have to be very carefully handled if strong public criticism especially in U.S. is to be avoided. A good case can be made out for his point of view that the economic and currency fronts are of vital war importance. In any case, as the Generalissimo

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is opposed, the plan is automatically dead. We are not, however, burying it; well put it on ice, and keep on thinking of means to implement it, just in case! With regard to our preliminary work on UNRRA, we agreed that, as Dr. Tsiang, Chinas representative at Atlantic City, is soon expected back in China, it will be best to postpone further work on the subject until we can consult with him. To bed about midnight. January 15: After a fair night in a strange bed and relatively hard bed had a swell breakfast, talked with Arthur Young till 9:30, and then came across river to office. Had a busy day, but got plenty done, and left at 5 p.m. with a clear desk and a clear conscience, although with plenty of problems in the offing. Arthur Young told me last night (1) that the Sino-British loan arrangements (50,000,000) are not even yet finished; that the Chinese want the money for currency backing and without any strings, but that the British say they cant afford to lose such a bug lump of sterling, and insist on specific uses such as purchase of British goods, etc. (2) that almost 20,000 tons a month are now being flown over the hump more than the Burma Road ever carried; (3) that the U.S. Army are now doing a good job of this transportation, after a bad start; (4) that it is the Generalissimo even more than Kung who refuses to consider any change in the official Chinese $ - U.S. $ rate; (5) that he (Young) fears an almost certain panic when the inflation and exchange rate situation reaches the breaking-point. My nice cat Jenny is missing! Blame laid at door of a mysterious black stranger. (Probably stolen; worth $500). January 16: C.C. Huo, who is transferred from Chungking to Lungchow, came to see me this morning and talked 1/1-2 hours. A most personable and intelligent man, but not trustworthy, and lazy as can be. Very subtly, he indicated the wheels within the wheels at the Inspectorate and throughout the Service. I have constantly to fight against the sectionalism, clannishness and cliques which I find in the Customs; and I am fighting against age-old Chinese characteristics! Jenny returned! Boys daughter discovered her in a neighbors garden. January 17: Rouse is applying for detachment for war service. He has handed in a dispatch, addressed to me, to Lu Ping, with whom he seeks a conference, but he has

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