Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-19
the President and Congress for federal
buildings worthy of the requirements and
dignity OF the United States. They say:

| the President and Congress for federal
| buildings worthy of the requirements and
dignity OF the United States. They say:
This Country's Mean Showing.
American trade in 1905 sent ~one-fifth
of the imports, and took one-seventh of
the exports of China: and American citi-
zens constitute one-seventh of the nom
Asiatic population of China. Notwith-
standing all this. the visitor to Shanghai
is al once struck by the fact that the
united States must be ranked among the
second-class powers. On the river front
ers--France. England. Germany and ia
pan; in the back streets are those of the
second-rate powers. the United States,
Denmark. Holland, Belgium. Austro-Hun-
gary: Sweden. etc. The first-rate powers
provide accommodations adequate to the
position of their consul general and
houses for the rest of the staff in due
proportion for the married and unmar-
RED The secondrate powers also pro-
vide proper houses. but not always adj
joining the consulate. excepting only the
United States. which provides none
Houses within a convenient distance Of
the quarter within which a consulate must
De situated are not easily obtainable, even
IN shanghai, while in other ports generally
tha number of foreign houses is fitted ex-
actly to the number Of foreign residents
and In Shanghai or at other ports the
rents demanded for the limited supply of
ncuses take considerable share of the
moderate salaries given to American con-
sular officers
" nile other powers in general provide
sIIhclent OFFICES in suitable buildings for
eH!clent working, well-furnished resi-
aehceS Tor their consuls general. and resi-
aehtlai quarters for their assistants the
American government, in marked con-
trast. occupies rented premises Of low
class. obscurely located on a back street
ana on renewal of the lease is subject
W the FISK or expulsion or the exaction of
al exorb1tant rental. 1t Is not too much
70 say that the position of the United
states IN Shanghai. in respect to it's Off
cial equipment. Is the fair subject of crit
cism by Chine Sc and foreigners alike. and
the occasion Of humiliation to patriotic
Americans
THE shabby appearance presented by
, the american consulates in China can b
uVed down and the national prestige, so
necessary In Asiatic affairs. can. in the
course OF time. be established by the force
OF character of the men appointed to con-
suiates. provided always that their char
actei IS such as to give them a LEADING
position among communities of high mora,
ana intellectual standing; but. unaided by
d Impressive setting. the task has to b.
u,'1ertaken anew on each appointment
Inc question of prestige has, however. a
very practical bearing on diplomacy
wne'ner applied to political or to COM
mercial matters"
Shabby Consulate in Shanghai.
FROM another source we get the fol-
lowing: 1t is in vain that the United
states government spends money for its
present consular service in Shanghai II
'he enorts OF the consular representatives
are 10 be nullified by the conspicuously
unoignihed position assumed by the gov
eminent In the present building over
which floats the United States flag there
are not only no proper facilities for the
conduct of the public business. hut no
place In which the consul general NAV
hve. no place and no facilities for the
nationalities'
The United States court in Shanghai
United States jail has been condemned
as lnsanitary and Is so insecure that
any prisoner can break his way out If the
suard Is withdrawn. 1t has been de-
cIareo cruel and unhuman to confine hui
man beings in the American Jail at
Shanghai. The rooms are dark and poor
~ ventilated sitting in the summer. de-
pressing at all times. and liable at any
TIME IN spite of the greatest care to be-
come a terminating center Of disease"
ms Is the verdict o. a committee which
made an Investigation
On the other hand. the great European
powers all have splendid buildings of i'm
posing dimensions and designs in the
most prominent part of the city. and the
Chinese people. who are peculiarly sus-
ceptible to such influences. measure. the
comparative Importance of the nations
represented by these conspicuous stand
ards.
All that is said concerning Shanghai
Is true at other Chinese cities, and there
Is no remedy except by the construction
OF our own buildings because those now
occupied are the best that can be OBJ
tanned. 1t is very difficult to rent any
kind of house In a Chinese city. par
icularly those of the interior People
do not build for the purpose of renting
as they do in this country. When a
foreigner goes into business in a Chinese
town he is compelled to erect his own
residence. and the custom is to use the
lower floors for business purposes and
the upper floors for residences Nearly
all of the foreign corporations and bust
ness firms that have agencies in China
have been compelled to erect buildings
for the accommodation of their repre-
sentatives. their clerks and bookkeepers
as well as their managers. This Gus
tom has grown from the necessities of
the case because other accommodations
cannot be obtained. The European gov
ernments have done the same thing for
the same reason. but the United States
Congress compelled our consular repre-
sentatives to take the best they could
get and very often to pay the larger
portion OF the rent out of their own
rOckefS