The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-16

solved that 1t shall have it, and
compulsory system of schooling is to
be generally established. Suppose
that tomorrow our President and
Congress should enact laws wiping out
our public schools. replacing them
with others vitality different, with an
entire new list Of books. That Is the
situation in China to-day.
Books for Four Hundred Millions.
China. moreover. has four times as
many people as the United States. It's
children OF school age are more than
1oo.ooo.ooo. and in the new scheme
the grown-ups as we'll as the babes
are anxious TO learn.
There are kindergarten and primary
departments for the little ones, there
are night schools for civil officials.
military schools for the army, and
law schools for would-be statesplen.
All these are under way. and there
are no books to feed them. The situa-
tion is one OF the strangest in his
tory. It has no counterpart in the
past, and will probably have none in
the future.
In the meantime books are being
imported from a half dozen different
countries. The great school book pub
fishing houses OF Great Britain. the
United States and Japan are studying
the field and are shipping In transla-
tons OF textbooks OF one kind and
another. The N1acmillans. of London
and New York. have published soma;
the American Book Company and CHM,
the United States others: and as for
school books of other nations and
sending them hero by tho ton.
China,s biggest Publishing House.
IN "a ffn1a of tho
modern textbooks In uso have been
made by the missionaries. Ono OF the
| largest presses Of the Far East Is that
of the Presbyterian mission at Shans-
!! hal, another Of considerable size be-
| longs to the Methodists. and there are
q few of other denominations.
The only large secular publishinE
| house which has yet been organized
| to take advantage OF new, conditions
! la the Commercial Press, OF this city.
It was established a little more than
! ten years ago, with paid up capt. al
or three quarters OF million dollars
! In silver. 1T has since grown until II
! now has a plant covering ncres and
hurnming with modern machinery,
4 Invent out to see this establishment
last week, 1t lies within two miles or
so of Shanghai proper oil the other
side Of Hongkew Greek. On my way
to II 7 drove past q mile or SO OF tine
1 foreign residences. with wide portocos
and galleries about them. by many
stores occupied by Chinese, by schools
and colleges run By the missionaries
and OH out TITO the country. was a C.
con,panted by one of. the managers
and, With him, went through the vari-
Gus branches az the establishment.
The Commercial Press Is making
everything, from kindergarten lesson
books to English Chinese dictionaries
Biographies and books OF mining en-,
cheering. It has 3 large lithograpl.
ing plant. where a dozen presses arr
turning out school books In colors. In
one room they were printing @ caleil-
dar for the coming year. using tWslve
different colors. and In another max az
cards-of many colora, depicting plants
and animals for teaching the Chinese
babies. Much Of the printing was done
from stones, but there were also large
etching and half tone plant witt com !.
4 plete pllo bio appl IN o 9l.t