Biography in English

Chou Tzu-ch'i (1871-20 October 1932), government official, served Yuan Shih-k'ai's government as minister of finance. Because of his complicity in Yuan's monarchical plot, Chou was forced to live in Japan (1916-17) to avoid arrest. He later served as minister of finance (1920) and as acting premier (1922). Although his native place was Shanhsien, Shantung, Chou Tzu-ch'i was born at Canton, where his father was serving as a government official. Because he was brought up in the south, he spoke the Cantonese dialect, which later enabled him to establish and maintain close relations with important Cantonese financial men, of whom Liang Shih-i (q.v.) was the most prominent.

After receiving his early schooling in the Chinese classics at Canton, Chou returned to his native district in Shantung to prepare for the imperial examinations. He obtained the shengyuan degree at an early age and became a senior licentiate in 1894. After studying English at the T'ung-wen-kuan at Peking, he went to the United States to attend Columbia University. After completing his studies at Columbia, Chou Tzu-ch'i in 1896 was appointed a secretary in the Chinese legation at Washington, where he served under Wu T'ing-fang (q.v.). He remained there until 1899, when he was transferred to New York as consul. After two years in New York, he went to Cuba, where he was charge d'affaires at the Chinese legation in Havana in 1901 and 1902. In 1903 Chou was made Chinese consul general at San Francisco, where his familiarity with the Cantonese dialect was an asset to him in dealing with the large Chinese community. In 1904 he was assigned to the Chinese legation at Washington with the rank of first secretary. He remained in Washington for about four years before being recalled to China.

After his arrival at Peking in 1908, Chou was appointed a junior secretary in the Board of Foreign Affairs. Promotion came rapidly, and in two years he rose to become senior secretary, junior counselor, and senior counselor. In 1910 he was sent to the United States to head the Chinese educational mission which supervised Chinese students in that country. The same year, Chou was appointed an attache on Prince Tsai-hsun's mission to Japan and England for the study of naval affairs (see ECCP, I, 376). In 1911 he again went on a mission to England, led by Prince Tsai-chen, to attend the coronation of King George V. Soon after Chou Tzu-ch'i returned to China, the revolt at Wuchang broke out. As the republican revolutionary forces gained power in many parts of China, Yuan Shih-k'ai was called upon to form a cabinet in Peking. Chou Tzuch'i was appointed vice minister of finance. When the republic was formally inaugurated in 1912, Sun Yat-sen resigned from the provisional presidency in favor of Yuan Shih-k'ai. In March, Yuan appointed Chou Tzu-ch'i tutuh [military governor] of Shantung. Chou held that post for slightly more than a year. In August 1913 he was called to Peking and was named acting governor of the Bank of Cahin. In the meantime, the so-called second revolution had been suppressed, and Yuan was slowly consolidating his power and eliminating his opponents. As a transitional step toward the realization of his plan to gain dictatorial power, Yuan in August 1913 appointed Hsiung Hsi-ling (q.v.) premier. Hsiung proceeded to form the so-called first-caliber cabinet, which included such notable figures of the day as Chang Chien, Liang Ch'i-ch'ao, Sun Pao-ch'i, and Tuan Ch'i-jui (qq.v.). Some of the key positions in the cabinet, however, were assigned by Yuan personally. Chou Tzu-ch'i was selected by Yuan to serve as finance minister, but later was shifted to the post of minister ofcommunications because Hsiung Hsi-ling insisted on assuming the finance portfolio himself.

The Hsiung Hsi-ling cabinet served its purpose by pushing through the adoption of the 1913 election law (as part of the proposed constitution) and the election of Yuan Shih-k'ai to the presidency. Yuan proceeded openly with his measures to suppress the Kuomintang and to suspend the Parliament. In 1914 Yuan promulgated a new provisional constitution, abolished the premiership, and created the post of secretary of state. In February, Hsiung Hsiling resigned as premier and concurrent finance minister. Chou Tzu-ch'i then was appointed finance minister, the post which Yuan had originally allotted him. When the new provisional constitution was enforced, Hsu Shihch'ang (q.v.) was appointed secretary of state, and Chou was reappointed minister of finance. A further revision of the election law, toward the end of 1914, had the effect of making Yuan Shih-k'ai president for life. Yuan's ambitions were unsatisfied, however, and his monarchical aspirations became increasingly apparent. Reportedly, it was Chou Tzu-ch'i who persuaded Frank J. Goodnow, the American consultant on constitutional law, to prepare a memorandum for the government at Peking. Goodnow, a Columbia University professor who later became president of The Johns Hopkins University, reported to Yuan Shih-k'ai that a monarchy was a more suitable form of government for China than a republic. Goodnow's memorandum established the framework for Chinese theorists, who continued discussion of the issue and prepared the ground for a full-scale monarchical campaign during the second half of 1915. Yuan Shih-k'ai completed his arrangements to ascend to the imperial throne. Chou Tzu-ch'i then was entrusted with another important task. To circumvent possible Japanese opposition to the monarchical scheme, Yuan Shih-k'ai decided to cultivate Japan's good will by conferring the highest decoration of the Chinese republic on the Japanese emperor.

In October 1915 Chou Tzu-ch'i was selected as Yuan's special envoy to Japan, and preliminary arrangements were made for the trip. However, in January 1916, just as Chou was about to leave for Tokyo, the Japanese government announced its rejection of Yuan's offer and refused to admit Chou as a special envoy. The cancellation of the trip was reportedly a great relief to Chou, since it removed from him the onus of being the man selected to carry out this mission. In May 1916 Yuan formally revived the cabinet system and apointed Tuan Ch'i-jui premier. At the same time Chou Tzu-ch'i was reappointed minister of finance and director of salt administration affairs. After Yuan died in June 1916, Chou immediately resigned from the government. He was a member of the official committee that arranged Yuan's burial. Li Yuan-hung (q.v.) succeeded to the presidency, and Tuan Ch'i-jui was called upon to form a new government. On 14 July 1916 the new government announced that all men who had been involved in the monarchical scheme would be treated leniently, and, in fact, no action was taken against most of them. Only eight men were charged with being directly responsible for the movement; orders were issued for their arrest. Chou Tzu-ch'i was one of the eight. He fled the country and sought refuge in Japan. Chou's life as an exile lasted until February 1918. When Feng Kuo-chang (q.v.) became acting president, he rescinded the orders for the arrest of Chou Tzu-ch'i, Liang Shih-i, and Chu Chi-ts'en. Liang and Chu were elected speaker and deputy speaker of the Senate in the new Parliament.

Chou Tzu-ch'i resumed his active political career in 1919, when he was appointed director of the currency bureau. In August 1920, under premier Chin Yun-p'eng (q.v.), Chou Tzu-ch'i was appointed finance minister. The financial situation of the Peking government was shaky and confused. Chou, together with Yeh Kungcho (q.v.), the minister of communications, believed that the only practical measure would be to float additional domestic loans. Before attempting that, he and Yeh felt it necessary to restore public confidence by placing the old domestic loans on a proper basis. They drew up a plan for the adjustment of the old loans, but it was opposed by other members of the government, who convinced the premier of its undesirability. In May 1921 Chin Yun-p'eng reorganized his cabinet and replaced both Chou Tzu-ch'i and Yeh Kung-cho. Chou then went to the United States as an adviser to the Chinese delegation to the Washington Conference. In December 1 92 1 Liang Shih-i replaced Chin Yun-p'eng as premier. Liang, however, encountered the opposition of the Chihli clique and about a month later was forced out of office. W. W. Yen (Yen Hui-ch'ing, q.v.) then became acting premier. In March 1922 war broke out between the Chihli clique and the Fengtien clique led by Chang Tso-lin (q.v.), and the latter was defeated in May. Before that time, however, W. W. Yen resigned from the acting premiership, and Chou Tzu-ch'i was appointed his successor. The Chihli clique demanded that Hsu Shih-ch'ang, then the president, order the arrest of Liang Shih-i, Yeh Kung-cho, and Chang Hu (the finance minister under Liang) because they had the support of Chang Tso-lin. Hsu Shih-ch'ang had to issue the orders, and Chou Tzu-ch'i, as premier, had to countersign them. Chou, a close political ally of the three men, was greatly embarrassed. He communicated privately with Liang, tendered his apologies, and told Liang to leave at once. Liang Shih-i reportedly was rather amused that Chou, his close colleague, should now sign an order for his arrest. Later, shortly before he died, Chou Tzu-ch'i asked a friend to tell Liang Shih-i that countersigning the order for Liang's arrest was the only act of his entire life that he regretted. Chou resigned in June 1922 when Hsu Shih-ch'ang was forced into retirement by the Chihli clique and Li Yuan-hung was restored to the presidency. After relinquishing the acting premiership, Chou was given a sinecure position as a member of the commission for financial reorganization. However, he decided to retire from politics, and he left China to tour the United States.

In the United States, Chou became interested in the motion picture industry. After returning to China, he organized the Peacock Motion Picture Corporation, which was to distribute foreign films and produce Chinese films. Before he could implement his plans, Chou became ill. He died in Shanghai in October 1923.

Biography in Chinese

周自齐
字:子广
周自齐(1871—1932.10.20),政府官吏,在袁世凯政府中任财政总长。因参与袁世凯帝制阴谋,1916—1917年被迫避居日本。后来,1920年又任财政总长,1922年署国务总理。
周自齐原籍山东单县,生在广州,当时他父亲在广州做官。由于他在南方长大,他能说广东方言,这使他能与广东的财政界重要人物如梁士诒建立关系,密切来往。
他幼年在广州受旧式教育,后回山东应科举试。1894年成秀才,后去北京进同文馆学英语,又到美国进哥伦比亚大学。
在哥伦比亚大学毕业后,1896年在伍廷芳手下任中国驻华盛顿公使馆秘书。1899年调驻纽约领事。两年后,去古巴。1901—1902年在哈瓦那任中国公使馆代办。1903年任旧金山中国总领事,他谙熟粤语,与华侨交往方便。1904年任中国驻华盛顿公使馆等秘书,四年后,被召回国。
1908年,周自齐到北京,在外务部任右参,在以后二年中,提升很快,提为左参,不久又升任右丞、左丞。1910年奉命赴美任中国学务部代表,监督中国留美学生。同年,为载洵亲王随员去日、英考察海军。1911年为载振亲王随员、庆贺英王乔治五世加冕。
周自齐回国后,武昌起义不久爆发了,革命军势力已在国内许多地域掌权,袁世凯正在北京组阁,周自齐任财政次长。
1912年,民国正式成立,孙逸仙辞去临时大总统职,由袁世凯继任。3月间袁任周自齐为山东都督,周在山东任职一年有余。1913年8月他被召回北京,任中国银行代理总裁。二次革命失败后,袁世凯采取措施巩固其势力并消灭异己。袁为实现称帝图谋而采取了一项过渡手段,于1913年8月,任命熊希龄为总理,熊组成所谓“第一流内阁”,包括那些当时的知名人物,如张謇、梁启超、孙宝琦、段祺瑞。但是重要阁员,早已由袁世凯认定,袁授周自齐为财政总长,但因熊希龄坚持兼任财政总长,所以后又改任周为交通总长。
利用熊希龄内阁的意图是要通过1913年选举法(作为宪法的一部分),选举袁世凯为大总统。袁世凯公然釆取了压迫国民党议员、解散国会等办法。1914年袁公布新临时宪法,取消内阁总理,另立“国务卿”。2月,熊希龄辞去内阁总理及财政总长,周自齐任财政总长,这一职位袁世凯早先曾授予周。新临时宪法施行后,徐世昌任国务卿,再任周自齐为财政总长。
1914年底,修订选举法,使袁世凯能成为终身总统。但他的野心永不能满足,这时他称帝的野心日益暴露了。据说,周自齐请袁世凯的宪法顾问古德诺为北京政府起草一份备忘录。古德诺,这位哥伦比亚的教授,后来当上霍普金斯大学校长,他向袁世凯呈递报告称,帝制比共和对中国更为适宜。古德诺的备忘录为中国的推行帝制运动的说客们提供了理论,他们在1915年后半年,继续议论此事并为全面开展帝制运动准备基础。
袁世凯已完成了登上皇位的准备,周自齐接受了另一重要任务。袁世凯为了防止日本反对帝制的可能性,决定向日本天皇授以中华民国最高勋章,以赢得日本的好感。1915年10月,周自齐受袁世凯之命为使日特使,并已准备起程。不料1916年1月,周自齐正准备去东京,日本政府宣布拒受袁世凯的馈赠,拒绝周自齐作为特使去日本。据说此行取消,对周自齐是个极大的宽慰,由此卸下了这一沉重使命。
1916年5月,袁世凯又恢复内阁制,任段祺瑞为国务总理。周自齐再任财政总长兼盐务署督办。1916年6月,袁世凯去世,周自齐当即辞职,他是袁世凯治丧委员会委员。
黎元洪继任总统,段祺瑞组新政府。1916年7月14日,新政府宣布,参加帝制活动的人员将予以宽大处理,而事实上大多数人也并未受到惩罚,只有直接参加这次活动的八人,明令逮捕。周自齐即是其中一人,他逃离中国去日本躲避,一直到1918年2月。当冯国璋代署总统时,取消对周自齐、梁士诒、朱启钤的通缉令,梁、朱分别当选为新国会参议院议长和副议长。
1919年,周自齐又恢复了他的政治生涯,任币制局督办。1920年8月靳云鹏任内阁总理,周自齐任财政总长。当时北京政府的财政动荡混乱,周自齐和交通总长叶恭绰认为唯一措施是再次发行国内公债,但事前必须使旧公债的信用稳定。他们准备整理旧公债,但遭政府中其他官员反对。1921年5月,靳云鹏重新组阁,免除周自齐、叶恭绰两人的职务。于是周自齐以出席华盛顿会议的中国代表团顾问身份赴美。
1921年12月,梁士诒接替靳云鹏为国务总理,因遭直系的反对,任职一个月就去职,由颜惠庆代署总理。1922年3月,直奉战争发生,5月,张作霖的奉军失败。在此之前,颜惠庆已辞职,由周自齐署理国务总理。直系军阀要求当时的总统徐世昌下令逮捕梁士诒、叶恭绰、张弧(梁士诒内阁的财政总长),因为他们支持张作霖。徐世昌得下达命令,而内阁总理周自齐也得副签逮捕令,可是这三人都是周的政友,所以周的处境十分困难。他私下通知梁士诒,向他致歉,并劝他立即离去。据说,梁士诒当时以为是开玩笑,不相信他的知友竟会下令逮捕他。后来,周自齐在临死前托一位朋友转告梁士诒,签署逮捕梁士诒的逮捕令,是他的毕生憾事。周自齐于1922年6月辞职,是由于徐世昌为直系所迫下台,黎元洪复任总统。周自齐离代总理之职后,当了财政整理委员会委员的挂名职务。他决定退出政界,去美国游历。
周自齐在美国对电影工业很感兴趣。回国后,筹办孔雀电影制片公司,拟经营发行外国影片,并拍摄中国电影。这个计划未能实现,他病倒了,1923年10月在上海逝世。

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