Evening star., 1924-12-14
BY FRANK G. CARPENTER.

BY FRANK G. CARPENTER.
SHANGHAI, China.
TN Shanghai I am in the chief CEN
ter of foreigners In China. This
is especially true as to the
i Americans and Europeans doins
business in this country. The
reason Is that the port of Shanghai
handles more than half Of China
foreign trade. and so the big export
ing and importing houses have their
own headquarters in the city. Every
one who wants to buy, sell or invest
in China comes here first and many
never get any further into the coun-
try.
Without leaving my hotel I can
talk with men from the United States.
and whenever I take a walk in the
business section of the international
settlement 1 see the names Of firms
known In the United States.
The foreigners live here in western
style. for the most part. and enjoy
nearly all the goods and conveniences
they have at home. The chief nation
alities have their own banks and
newspapers here. and until recently
each had its own post office in Shang-
Eai. l can ride out any time in high
powered American automobiles for
hire here. and in the big Chinese de-
partment stores l can buy almost any
article sold in the shops on F street
in Washington.
China's trade with the world Is
largely in the hands of foreigners.
past any organization for world
trade, with the result that nations
which wanted China's goods have had
TO come here to get them. There are
now something like 1000 foreign
firms, big and little, doing business
in China and about $4,000 foreigners
living in this country. Nearly two
thirds Of the latter are Japanese and
Russians, most OF whom are in Man
churia. While there are some 4s
treaty ports, the bulk of the Ameri-
cans and Europeans are in Shanghai,
Canton, Hankow and Tientsin, and
there are more of them In Shanghai
than in the three other cities COM
bined.
AS one would expect. there are more
Japanese in China than any other for
eisners. They number about 100000
and have more than 1000 business
establishments in this country. The
Russians come next with about IS, 900,
and the British, Americans, Germans s
and French follow in the order named.
Most Of the Japanese are In south
ern Manchuria, where they have
large interests, but there are nearly
10000 OF them In Shanghai, and they
have large colonies in all the other
treaty ports The Japanese in Man
churia are mostly along the line of
OF the South Manchuria railway,
which they own and operate. This
road does not conflne itself to haul
ing passengers and freight over It's
lines, but also runs coal mines, iron
mines and other enterprises. Japanese
individuals and corporations have also
gone into mining, industrial and COM
nercial schemes in Manchuria and
form an important element in the
trade and development OF that re-
gion.
TUE Japanese own many Of the new
l. factories in China. They are
doing q large part OF the cotton spin
ming and weaving here. beside sell
ing the Chinese great quantities Of
cotton goods made In japan. At
Shanghai they have almost half the
number Of spindles and looms which
are now working, and own cotton
mills in the other cities besides.
The manager OF one large Japanese
mill, which has 10000 spindles, pays
his hands by piece work at such
prices that they can make on the
average about "a cents for II hours
labor. He told me that II was not
well to pay more, for the Chinese
were likely to get into drinking and
gambling If he were paid too much
money.
he has also built houses for the
workmen, which they can have at a
low rent, and 1T the mill he furnishea
eteaming their rice. While I was in