Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-20
THE CITY OF SHANGHAI
It is Entitled to Its Name, the Model
Settlement"
Fine English City With q Small
Chinese Quarter ms an
Adjunct.
Of the Boston Transcript.

| Correspondence Of the Boston Transcript.
| The two hours Journey up the river from
the ship to Shanghai is Interesting only in
| one particular: 1t shows to what an extent
| the American and European already have
| secured foothold in China. There are. to
be sure, great unwieldy Junks moving slow
| ly up or down stream, with huge glaring
| eyes In the bow that they may see their
way through storm and darkness. but there
| are with them, also. vessels flying the flag
| of every naicn-English. first OF all, Dan
| ish. French. German and Italian. The line
| of European vessels extends from Japan
| through the inland sea, down the Chinese
coast and around the shores of all Asia-a
| rallyinG of the powers that be, as events In
| the near or remote future will prove
Along one bank of the muddy stream run
| railway and telegraph line, both COM
| pleted and having been in operation for
some years. There are mills, with their
| TAI cnimneyS sending out clouds of black
| smoke-cotton mills and silk mills repre-
senting foreign industry and thousands of
| dollars OF foreign capital When one steps
| ashore one sees. not a Chinese. but solid
| substantial English city embowered in SUBJ
| tropical gardens There are the same finely
| macadamized streets, the same stone side
| walks, the ample supply of light and water
| and other modern conveniences. which, as
| much as anything else, entitle Shanghai to
its name 1.-The model settlement" 1t is not
| only the model, but 1t is the largest-a
splendid substantial, well-governed English
| city, with a Chinese quarter a mere ad-
| jrnct. and its Chinese populat ton quite
| overshadowed by its heterogeneous Amer
| lean and European residents But it is not
so wholly English as might appear. for
| there are also an American settlement and
| French settlement. the latter as Partisan
| as the Rue Haussmann-with all the bright
| ness and gayety, to which certain oriental
| tone has been given. The siX-story build
ings along the Bund, water front. are of
| solid and pleasing architecture. There is a
| il mbe of coolie jinriksha men, the drivers
| of queer cabs with Slated tuff windows
| like new species of Black Maria; Indian
police in black clothes and towering scarlet
turtans. who tell you that they spik a
| little Engliss,' and, last of ALL a constab-
| ulary precisely the counterpart of that of
| London or Liverpool Shanghai differs from
| the latter in another respect-the streets
| are densely shaded, trees and shrubbery
| not being confined to parks and secluded
! gardens, hidden behind the houses.
In the Hotels.
! In the hotels one finds a French menu
| fairly good cooking, electric lights, the
| telephone. brilliantly polished floors with
| out even rugs to break the shining smooth
| ness of their surface; with the same old
| chests of drawers and squat tables that are
| indigenous to British hostelries the world
! over, and everybody eats curry and rice
| even in Paris London is more cosmopoH-
tan. glance at the signatures upon the
| hotel register shows a list of names from
every part of the world-London, New
! York. Budapest, Vienna Melbourne Ba-
| taVla, singapore, Calcutta, Birmingham
and Brussels. There is the corporation
| lawyer from New York, keen, nervous
| looking after the interests of an American
| railway enterprise; the Belgian and British
| engineer, an English officer on his way to
| his command in upper Burmah high
| 10 tn rin t,1rh xx-ifb
| bis fine, patrician features. and the i'm
| passive Chinese. whose country quite
| forgets that it is, looking on-emotionless
| as a sphynx. thinking his own thoughts,
| going his own way and keeping his own
| counsel
1t impresses the observer as the prepara-
| ton for stirring drama, in which the
chief actors are quietly taking their places,
| ready for the part that may be assigned
| them. The house is filed with Chinese
| servants, who go about among this modern
| more than one might suppose. and making
what use of their knowledge? Nobody
| knows-yet-
| These same silent, velvet-footed servants
| are clad in long robes of linen, like those
| on shipboard. except that the robes are
| blue, and vainly the unframed ear en-
| deavors to translate into human speech
| their queer falsetto jargon, which passes
| for pigeon English.
One has just drifted into my room and
| delivered long address, which ! construed
|
| discovered was an explanation that the
mosquito net. which deity tucked
| around the head of the bed, would not be
| needed as 1t was now too late for mos
| quitoes. There Is one trait which appar-
| emily can never be eradicated-and that Is
| their hereditary and deep-rooted contempt
| and aversion for women.
Chinese Customs Little Changed.
| An English lady, distinguished writer,
! now in China with her husband, who is
| interested In building steamers for navi-
| CATION in Chinese waters, said that at first
| when she came out to the country she
could not accustom herself to the undis-
| guised disrespect with which she was
treated. Officials of high rank came to
| confer with her husband, whom they
| greeted with profound salaams. but, al
| though she was at his side, her existence
| was utterly disregarded. She was told that
| 1t would have been a shocking breach of
| Chinese decorum had the men taken any
| notice Of her presence. From this it will
appear that years of contact with Euro
! peans and Americans, to say nothing of the
Efforts of missionaries, have changed the
Chinese very little. For these were men
| of the educated Classes, informed, at least,
| as to Anslo-Saxon etiquette, whether they
| ignored 1t not.
There is a movement on foot to create a
| sentiment that may lead to the abolition
of footbnding. An effort has .een made
| to interest the more liberal and progress
]
| cure their cooperation. A further effort
will be made to arouse the sympathy of
! the empress, and an audience will be asked
| for deputation. who will present a me-
| mortal. 1t is doubtful If she will give them
| hearing. A mass meeting will be held on
Friday in Shanghai, at which addresses will
| be made, and subsequently steps will be
| taken to continue further work
| l have had strange hint today from a
| man who IS probably better informed upon
eastern matters than any person living,
| who was with Gordon in his Chinese cam
| pafgn, who has lived here all his life and
who speaks Chinese perfectly The rumor
| did not relate to China, but to Japan, and
was neither more nor less than a state
| ment to the effect that Japan is preparing
| to make swopp upon Port Arthur and
other Russian ports. take them and drive
! the Russians back to their own legitimate
| frontier. My informant said that it was
for this purpose that they are senlarging
their navy. which, since they could NOT
afford to maintain it permanently, they
would subsequently, reduce. He thought
the plan was to make a sudden dash, take
the Russians by surprise and dispossess
them before they could realize what had
happened. 1t is a mode of warfare In
which the japanese certainly ought to ex-