Who's Who in China (3rd edition)/Ch'eng K'e

General Ch'eng Ke

程克学仲漁

General Ch'eng K'e was born in Kaifeng, Konan Province, in 1878. He first studied law during the Manchu Regime and then went to Japan and attended the Imperial University where he graduated from the law department. Upon his return from Japan General Ch'eng organized a revolutionary organ in Tientsin with the object of overthrowing the Manchu regime. He was arrested by the authorities but through the good offices of the late Chao Ping-chun, former Chihli Governor and Prime Minister, he was liberated and subsequently given official appointment. After the establishment of the Republic in 1912, General Ch'eng became a Councillor of the Ministry of the Interior, a Deputy of the Bureau for Parliamentary Affairs and Legal Councillor to President Yuan Shih-kai. In 1913 he was elected a senator representing Tibet. In June 1914 he was appointed Taoyin of Hanchung Circuit, Shensi, and while there worked against the cultivation of opium. Subsequently he was transferred to the position of High Commissioner for Altai in December 1915. During his residence in Altai he looked after both foreign and Chinese affairs with satisfaction to all concerned. He remained there for five years and in 1920 retired. In December 1919 General Ch'eng was awarded the Second-class Paokuang Chiaho. In 1922 General Ch'eng assisted General Feng Yu-hsiang in Honan in the management of military affairs. In January 1923 General Ch'eng was appointed, acting Minister of Justice and in January 1924 he was made a Lieutenant General and transferred from the post of Acting Minister of Justice to that of Minister of the Interior in the Sun Pao-chi cabinet. This position he is still holding at this date.