Who's Who in China (3rd edition)/Chang Ch'ih-t'an

Mr. Chang Ch'ih-t'an

張志潭字遠伯

Mr. Chang Chih-t'an was born in 1883 at Fengjen Hsien in the province of Chihli. He received a thorough education in Chinese literature and classics and when he was a mere youth was successful in government examinations during the Ching regime and got the degree of Chu-jen, equivalent to the present college degree of Master of Arts in 1904. Mr. Chang started his official career as a senior secretary of the Board of the Army. Later he was transferred to the Board of Civil Affairs and held the same rank. When the former President Hsu Shih-Chang was Viceroy of the Three Eastern Provinces, he made Mr. Chang his special attache. Subsequently, Viceroy Hsu promoted Mr. Chang to be the councillor of the Military Training Bureau of the Three Eastern Provinces. Mr. Chang was given the concurrent position of the Co-Director of the Frontier Affairs Bureau of the Kirin Province. After the establishment of the Republic in 1911, Mr. Chang became secretary to President Yuan Shih-kai. In July 1914 he was appointed Taoyin of the Shuiyuan Frontier which position he did not hold long before he was recalled to Peking where he was appointed secretary of the Cabinet which was then headed by Marshal Tuan. In January 1917, Mr. Chang was appointed Vice-Minister of the Interior. Subsequently he was ordered to take charge of the affairs of the same Ministry. While serving as Vice-Minister of the Interior he was concurrently holding the position of the director-general of the Metropolitan Municipal Bureau. In March 1918 when Marshal Tuan was appointed the Prime Minister for the third time, Mr. Chang was chosen to head the secretariat of the Cabinet. In the War Participation office of which Marshal Tuan was the director-general, Mr. Chang was the Chief of the Confidential Documents Bureau. In January 1919 Mr. Chang was appointed acting Vice-Minister of War with rank of Lt. General. In December he was decorated with the First with rank of Lt. General. In December he was decorated with the First Class Tashou Chiaho Order. In January he was given the Fourth Order of Merit for war work. After the downfall of the Anfu Club and upon reinstitution of General Chin Yun-peng in August, 1920, General Chang was appointed Director General of Metropolitan Municipal administration. At this time he was also Acting Minister of the Interior. In October 1920 he was appointed Director General of Government Famine Relief Bureau, and had conferred on him the First Class Tashou Paokuang Chiaho Decoration. In May 1921 General Chang was transferred from the position of Acting Minister of the Interior to that of Minister of Communications upon the reorganization of General Chin's Cabinet, leaving that post in December 1921. Since 1922, General Chang has been interested in the construction of the street car system in Peking and is now president of the Peking Tram Car Company. In June 1924, General Chang was appointed vice-president of the Financial Reorganization Commission.