Mar, 22.
Less than a month has passed since the present writer was penning a few complimentary remarks (in some trepidation as to how they might be received) on Sir Everard Fraser's having exceeded all predecessors in length of service as British Consul-General in Shanghai; and it is only a few hours since the same writer was rung out of bed with a message} that sent him back to the office just in time to insert in yesterday's paper the sad news of Sir Everard's death. It is a common place. that the shock of a great loss is slow in taking effect, and the many friends of the late Consul-General can hardly have. begun to realize what his death will mean to them, as to the British community at large. In the notice mentioned above, we ventured to describe him as "'a man whose mental and moral character matched in loftiness his physical stature." There were indeed many who felt that Sir Everard stood, in every respect, a head and shoulders above all his contemporaries in China.
There were those who sometimes blamed Sir Everard for not leading more of what is known as a public life and for the comparative rarity of his appearances in clubs and places where men resort. What they failed to realize was that anything savouring of publicity and putting himself before the public was. a physical impossibility to him. And certainly the slightly austere cast of his nature and the shining rectitude of his mind did not dispose him to "'hob and nob"' with those whose ideals appear to be somewhat flexible to the main chance. But there was never 2 Corsul-General in Shanghai who was so readily access sible, so generous of his own time, so willing to hear and careful to help those who came to him for advice and assistance, nor any whose counsel was more in-stiner with statesmanship and the profoundest insight.
Among the Chinese Sir Everard commanded wide and genuine respect. An intimate friend of the late Viceroy Chang Chih-tung, a Chinese scholar of very great ability, deeply versed in the classics,—his long acquaintance with China made him ever more and more her friend. We doubt if Young China quite relished his attitude towards them. Hating shams as he did, Sir Everard was the last of men to do lip service to the hollow and dangerous shiba boleths of the new men which so many self-professing friends of China too readily echo. But no Chinese who knew anything of Sir Everard doubted for a moment the absolute sincerity of his interest in all that belonged to their welfare.
Personally Sir Everard Fraser was one of the most lovable of men. With the keenest sense of fun, and of a certain dry. humour that was very telling, the manner of his comments on men and things was as delightful as the substance was worth remembering. He was a good friend to the "North-China Daily News', always ready to discuss any matter of interest and to give the fullest information on the tacit understanding that only what he expressly allowed was to be published: which attitude, in an. official of his high standing, and the help that it gave along the thorny path of journalism in China, perhaps only an editor can appreciate. Other friends in other walks of life will testify in like manner, we know well. To say that Sir Everard Fraser is deeply regretted is to express very poorly the feeling occasioned by his death. He was a very noble representative of his race; one whose friendship was an honour who had the power of calling out all the best in those who came in contact with him, by the sheer virtue and example of his splendid character; and to him in truth, if to anyone, might be applied Hamlet's oft-quoted tribute: ''He was a man, take him for all in all, we shall not look upon. his like agai
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.