The Coolidge examiner., 1933-03-17


in the muddy concession.
Even the Native City Changes.
Within the Nantao district, at the
southern side Of the city, lies the
old Chinese settlement. or Native
City. Modernization has been slow
to move in this locality, and native
life takes much the same course
that it followed before steamship
screws began stirring up the mud
dy Whangpoo around the fishing
junks and sampans.
Even here, however, there have
been changes. Since the republic
has come into existence, the old
wall that surrounded the city has
been demolished Narrow cobbled
streets with open sewers running
down their centers gradually have
given way to more cleanly concrete
passages. Loathsome beggars have
somehow been reduced in numbers,
although there are still more than
enough OF the pitiable wretches
wandering about the streets. A few
timely fires have been a godsend
in clearing out several disease traps
and pestholes. which have since
been rebuilt with somewhat better
structures.
North OF the international Set
tlement lies the thickly populated
Chinese district of Chapel. Chapel
borders upon the Soochow Creek
boundary and is just back of the
foreign district of Hongkew. This
district, before the recent lombard
ments, was somewhat more modern
and progressive than the Native
City region. Here, in Chapel, were
located large Chinese business con-
Germs devoted to exporting and I'm
porting. Here had sprung up Of
fees, factories, and printing estab-
lishments, among the last named
the Commercial Press, largest pub
fishing concern In China, valued at
one and a quarter million dollars.
But the focus of all Shanghai is
the foreign settlements. for in them
have been the remarkable incentive
and expanding force that have built
this modern seaport. First allotted
q portion of land on the south side
OF Soochow creek, following the
Treaty of Marking, in 1S42, when
Shanghai was indicated as one of
the five treaty ports British busi-
ness established itself and expand
ed. digging drains and filling canals
to make the concession habitable.
Foreign Settlements.
Six years later France was con-
ceded the territory between the
British concession and the Native
City. and only a few years after
ward Americans leased land in the
| Hongkew district, which extends
along the Whangpoo water front
north of Soochow creek, where the
river makes a sharp curve to the
right.
This so-called American settle
| ment was never organized as such,
but was incorporated with the Brit
ish district in 1868. Thus came into
being the international Settlement,
premier nucleus of modern Shang-
hal Other portions of land have
been added on the west, where old
timers used to bag snipe in off days
from their Offices.
The French chose to remain apart
and today continue to administer
their own concession as a separate
unit.
The years have sent a fast-mov-
ing panorama since the early days
when the International territorial
fusion came into being. received
nourishment, and became what has
often been termed 1.-The Model Set
tlement" The administration of the
International Settlement has been
in many ways a unique experiment,
perhaps without parallel in any 9TH
er place; and results make it evil
dent that the Shanghai municipal
council has served the settlement
we'll.
Because Shanghai has not always
had peaceful career. troops of
the four chief foreign nationalities
have been maintained to give nee
essary protection to the residents
of the city. Shanghai has also had
volunteer corps with a personnel
of more than 1000. which was or
ganized at the time of the stress
of the TAPPING rebellion, in 1854,
and has been mobilized at various
intervals of necessity during strikes
and when the pot of Chinese politi-
cal affairs has been boiling over.
Big, bustling Shanghai, this titan
of commerce in Far Asia, lives be-
yond the boundaries Of any one set
tlement or nationality; it commands
all of them together for its life and
trade. Well beyond three million
people are numbered In the districts
that form the whole of greater
Shanghai.