Who's Who in China (3rd edition)/Li Sheng-to

Mr. Li Sheng-to

李盛鐸字木齊

Mr. Li Sheng-to, was born at Kiukiang, Kiangsi. In 1860 in 1890 he successfully passed the Metropolitan examination becaming a Metropolitan graduate. Subsequently he joined the Hanlin Academy. In 1895 he was appointed Chinese Minister to Japan where he stayed for two years. Upon his return to China he was made Governor of the Metropolitan District. 1905 he was one of the five ministers sent abroad to study the constitutional forms of government. In that year he traveled extensively in Japan, Europe and America. In 1906 he was Chinese Minister to Belgium and returned in 1909. After the first revolution in 1911, he was appointed advisor to President Yuan Shih-kai. On June 29, 1917 he was appointed Acting Minister of Agriculture and Commerce and concurrently Director General of the National Conservancy Bureau. On July 17, 1917, he resigned on account of General Chang Hsun's monarchical movement, but he was appointed President of the Board of Agriculture of the short lived monarchy. In 1918, when the new Parliament was organized, Mr. Li was elected Speaker of the Senate. It was this Parliament which elected Hsu Shih-Ch’ang president. Mr. Li was conferred the First Class Tashun Chiaho in May 1919 and the First Class Tashun Paokuang Chiaho in October 1919. The new Parliament was dissolved in 1920 after the downfall of the Sufu Club resulting from the Chihli Anfu war. Ever since that time Mr. Li has been living in retirement at Tientsin.