Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-21
A REFORM MOVEMENT ASSTRUCK
WIDE-OPEN SHANGHAI.

deuce of bother for the rest of u.s. He is
doing a good thing for America, of course
but think Of the trouble that Is bound to
come to other nationalities If they have to
handle this thing. In a word the nations
We're quite willing to let America bear the
blame for all their misbehavior.
Against this infamy missionaries have
for years protested and labored in vain.
Shanghai. like all other treaty ports in
China. is an international extra territorial
settlement: each resident is under no law
except that of his own country as admin
istered by his consul. The very fact of
American laXity has caused dlsreputable
characters. even of other nationalities to
seek the protection of that flag for their
evil doing
a few of the official figures from the set
Element records may be enlightcning in this
couneCtiOn-and be II remembered. these are
not statistics of the native city, but of the
foreign settlements. over which the Chinese
have no control whatever. The modifying
spectacle has more than once been pre-
scented in Shanghai of "heathen'' officials
vainly pleading with the representatives of
Christian nations to close out or restrict
certain forms of evil. notably opium re-
sorts, gambling houses and brotEels, for
the sake of the thousands of Chinese who
are being ruined therein. Shanghais for
eign population is 1000, of whom 100 are
Americans. The British dominate, although
they are somewhat outnumbered by the
Japanese. French. Portuguese and Ger
mans come next in order of Importance
In licensed existence within the settlement
were. at the time of the issuance of the
recent municipal statistics, 81 900 opium
houses and shops, paying a revenue of
s6S, 00O-or one such resort for every score
of the 452,70o Chinese residents who live
here under the white mans law. OF these,
$40 are opium brothels, with 5000 inmates.
Besides there are go registered Chinese
brothels. with COO inmates. 2I of whom are
given weekly health certificates by the city
medical examiners. OF foreign houses OF q
grade above this, there are seven reported
on the books, with fifty-hve inmates Of
the highest and most famous-or infamous
class is the water tower district, or the
American colony as the neiShborhood is
Unfortunately called, there are seven pa
latial houses, with forty-seven inmates. In
addition. there numerous amusement
palaces and beer gardens, which are out
side the pale of what Is called the "legiti-
mate
X X
No census can tell the worst of Shang-
hafs shame. The evil that surpasses the
widespread gambling and drinking is the
maintenance of Chinese concubines by white
men, It is freely asserted that all the I'M
married foreigners in the east follow this
practice OF course this sweeping state
ment is untrue; and the wholesale gener
alization upon Shanghafs wickedness In
dulged in by missionaries here and by mis-
sionary authorities and supporters at home
is more than uncharitable-it is cruel and
false This city holds many upright, clean
lived. honorable men of spotless character;
the fact that they are in a minority does
not Justify their being SO indiscrimnately
libeled. The gross and scandalous charges
which ignorant or ev1l-disposed persons
make concerning missionaries are not
whit worse than the general animadversions
Of some missionaries upon all foreigners en-
gagged in secular pursuits in the orient.
The best statement Of the situation is bad
enough Careful inquiry among conserva-
tive and informed persons elicts the opin-
ion that probably the larger number of I'M
married foreigners in Shanghai maintain
native women. The Eurasian offspring who
are the fruit of these, and more honorable
unions are one Of the tragic characteristics
of this city.
Right here arises a perplexity for the
missionary. Shall he receive into his home
and give his social approval to young men
who are known thus to have contravened
a fundamental Anglo-Saxon conception Of
decency? Shall all the accepted traditions
of respectable society be abandoned In Or
der to win the approval of these young men
away from home? Ordinarily, the mission
aries decide in the negative. Thus there Is
a gulf fixed between the two classes OF
white men in Asia; and so mutual criticism
is begotten. In the society which has DOM
mated Shanghai the missionary, whatever
his standing at home or his personal quail
ties has been persona non grata.' Wheth-
er this state Of affairs will alter with the
newly-changed conditions remains to be
seen.
One further explanatory point should be
noted before describing Judge Wilfey's sem
sational reforms. Gambling has always been
a Shanghai vice. During race week" in
spring and fall 1t has been rampant. All
kinds of gambling have been open and I'M
ashamed. There is nothing in the western
world to which this can be likened; for
eign gentlemen. foreign rtff-raff, Chinese
gentlemen Chinese riff-raff (not to mention
women of any nationality met in a gam
blers democracy about the tables OF chance
and mischance. Back of the worst of these
fleeing schemes were Americans.
Last spring an anti-gambling crusade was
skillfully conducted, Robert E. Lewis, the
Young Mems Christian Association secre-
tary, being one of the prime workers in It.
Without going into details, 1t is enough to
say that the leading citizens who comprise
the municipal council were subjected to
such pressure that they outlawed all race
week gambling. except betting upon the
races within the club house grounds. This
was an enormous stride for reform. and the