Hsü Mo (1893-28 June 1956), lawyer and political scientist, played a key role in the planning and administration of Chinese foreign policy from 1932 to 1941 and served on the International Court of Justice from 1946 until his death; Born into a family of modest means in Soochow, Kiangsu, Hsü Mo received his early education at home under the guidance of his father, who was a teacher, and then attended a local middle school. In 1912 he enrolled at Peiyang University, where he became' known as the most gifted student of English hterature and composition to attend the university since ^Vang Ch'ung-hui i'q.v.) had studied there, and he gained a notable reputation as an excellent public speaker in both Chinese and English. He also studied Chinese and Western law and received an LL.B. degree from Peiyang in 1916.

After graduation, Hsü returned to Kiangsu and taught English at the Yangchow Middle School. In 1919 he ranked first in the government examinations for the diplomatic service. He was sent to the United States for a tour of duty in the Chinese legation, and he served as a secretary to the Chinese delegation at the Washington Conference in 1921-22. He also took law courses at George Washington University and received an LL.M. degree in 1922. At this time, he came to the attention of C. T. Wang (Wang Cheng-t'ing, q.v.), who was the head of the Chinese delegation to the Washington Conference.

After returning to China in 1922, Hsü Mo became professor of law and political science at Xankai University. He gave political science, comparative constitution, and international law courses. During the academic year 1925-26 he also served as dean of the university's college of arts. In 1926 he was made a member of the Chinese Bar Association in Tientsin. He also served as chief editor of the / Shih Pao, an influential Catholic newspaper at Tientsin, and wrote special articles on international affairs for it.

Late in 1926 Hsü Mo resigned from Xankai and moved to Shanghai, where he established a private law practice. In January 1927 the Provisional Court of the International Settlement was inaugurated at Shanghai as a concession to C^hinese demands for judicial sovereignty. Because of his legal training and his familiarity with Anglo-American law and jurisprudence, Hsü was appointed to the court as a judge. He accepted the position eagerly, for he viewed the establishment of the Shanghai Provisional Court as a preliminary step toward the reassertion of China's legal independence, the abolition of extraterritoriality, and the abrogation of the unequal treaties. In late 1927 he became president of the district court at Sungkiang, Kiangsu. ^Vith the emergence of a center of political authority at Nanking in the spring of 1928, new opportunities arose in the field of foreign affairs. Through the introduction of Wunsz King (Chin Wen-ssu), who had been one class ahead of him at Peiyang University, Hsü Mo entered the ministry of foreign affairs as a counselor. In June 1928 C. T. W'ang was made minister of foreign afTairs. At Wang's request, Hsü became his chief aide. In the following six months, he helped Wang to conclude twelve new tariff agreements with as many countries. From January 1929 until January 1932 Hsü served as chief of the ministry's European and American affairs department. In 1929 he served briefly as special commissioner of foreign affairs to deal with the abolition of extraterritorial rights in Shanghai. He also assisted C. T. AVang in gaining the restitution to China of Weihaiwei, reaching an agreement with France regarding Tonkin, signing a new tariff agreement with Japan, and concluding commercial treaties with Greece, Poland, and Czechoslovakia. Japanese aggression in XIanchuria in September 1931 and the attack at Shanghai in January 1932 shifted the focus of Chinese diplomatic attention to the Japanese threat. During the latter part of 1931 Hsü Mo served as acting chief of the Asian affairs department of the ministry of foreign affairs. In January 1932 he became administrative vice minister. He was promoted to political vice minister in June, succeeding Kuo T'ai-ch'i (q.v.). From 1932 to 1941 Hsü played a key role in molding, stabilizing, and administering Chinese foreign policy.

In 1941, at his own request, Hsü Mo was appointed minister to Australia, with the rank of ambassador, although his seniority and record of service qualified him for more prominent posts. He served there during the remaining war years until 1945. The Australians thought him an eloquent public speaker, and Melbourne University awarded him an honorary LL.D. degree. As the war drew to a close, Hsü Mo, as one of China's most experienced diplomats, was drawn into the postwar planning. Early in 1945 he participated in the work of the Committee of Jurists, which met in Washington from 9 to 20 April to prepare the draft statute of the International Court ofJustice. At the United Nations Conference on International Organization in San Francisco, Hsü played an active and constructive role as the Chinese representative on the committee which drafted the section of the United Nations Charter dealing with the settlement of disputes. He also served as ambassador to Turkey in 1945-46.

On 6 February 1946 Hsü was one of thirteen men elected to the International Court of Justice on the first ballot. After three years of service at The Hague, he was reelected for a second term of nine years. Hsü suffered a heart attack and died on 28 June 1956 in the Netherlands.