大清郵政與海關分家背後的不為人知 – 帛黎和安格聯的辛亥之爭 (The Unknown Story behind the Separation of the Chinese Post Office and the Chinese Maritime Customs Service – the Disputes between Piry and Aglen in 1911)

在1911年的6月， 大清郵政總局總辦帛黎 (Théophile Piry, 1851-1918) 給退居於倫敦的赫德 (Robert Hart 1835-1911))寫了兩封信。除了提到北京政局的大致發展以外，帛黎向赫德大倒苦水，抱怨安格聯 (Francis A. Aglen, 1869-1932)，希望赫德能夠介入。在七月，帛黎又給赫德寫信，直接點名安格聯不可理喻，嚴重傷害郵政的利益。為何帛黎要給遠在倫敦的赫德替他主持公道？又為何掌海關和郵政這兩大組織的領導人在人前一團和氣，在人後卻劍拔弩張，爭鋒相對呢？這段不為人知的故事點出了郵政，海關以及晚清最後一年的紛擾糾葛。

In June 1911, Théophile Piry, the Postmaster General of the Great Qing Imperial Post Office, wrote two letters to Sir Robert Hart, who was the Inspector General of the Chinese Maritime Customs Service, and was on leave in London at the time. In the letters, apart from briefly updating Chinese current affairs, Piry complained about Francis Aglen, who was the Acting Inspector General of the Customs Service, and sought Hart’s involvement. In July of the same year, Piry wrote to Hart again, and this time he harshly criticised Aglen for unreasonable behaviour both personally and professionally, and for seriously hurting the interests of the Post Office.
The Post Office formally left the control the Customs Service at the end of May 1911, so indeed that summer was a critical time for this organisation. While both directors general presented a harmonious face to the public on the issue of the separation, they were bickering with each other privately. This article explores the unknown story of the failing personal relations between these two leaders, set against institutional conflict and unsettling political developments in what was to be the final months of the Qing Empire.