Evening star., 1941-11-17
Eclipse of Shunqhui

Eclipse Of Shanghai
The order for the withdrawal of
our marines from China probably
spells the speedy end of the foreign
settlement at Shanghai. The pres
ence of $50 American 'leathernecks"
has alone maintained the authority
OF the foreign Municipal Council
and prevented disorders among the
vast resident Chinese population
which would give neighboring Japa-
nese forces the excuse they have
long sought to occupy the city. With
that occupation, the most amazingly
successful experiment in interna-
tional mercantile government of all
time would terminate after an ex-
istence of nearly 100 years.
1t was just century ago that a
squalid walled city near the coast of
Central China attracted the atten-
tion OF British naval squadron en-
gagged in hostilities with the Chinese
government over the opening of
that secluded Oriental empire to for
eign trade. This obscure provincial
town called Shanghai was situated
on the muddy Whangpoo River, a
dozen miles from its confluence with
the mighty Yangtse as that river
neared the sea. Keen-eyed British
diplomats and merchants saw
Shanghais commercial possibilities,
so it was included among the new
treaty ports wrested from defeated
China a year later.
In 1843 the newly appointed Brit
ish consul established trading set
tlement, not in the old walled city,
but short distance away. The site
looked unpromising, being a strip
of reed-grown marsh. Yet, on that
malarious mud fiat grew a city
which, with its magnificent "bund"
of majestic banks and Office build
ings built along the curving Whang-
poo, became one Of the worlds great
ports. with an aggregate population
Of 3,500,000 souls.
During its earliest years. the set
tlement was exclusively British. But
obvious trade possibilities soon led
French and American interests to
obtain nearby concessions Of their
own. Ultimately the Americans
joined the British, to form the
Shanghai Municipality. but the
French concession has remained
distinct down to the present day.
The municipality has always had a
predominantly Anglo-Saxon COM
plexion, though other nationalities
have given it a thoroughly cosmo-
politan flavor.
The great TAPPING rebellion which
broke out not long after Shanghai's
founding and which ravaged Gen.
trail China for many years drove
Chinese population, trade and capi-
tai thither as to an island Of refuge.
The imperial Chinese government
was glad to give Shanghai special
privileges from which its subjects
prof1ted; so in it's heyday the mu-
nicipality became almost an inde-
pendent state, with its own private
army of white volunteers and even
its own postage stamps Not until
after the rise Of Chinese nationalism
and the establishment of the re-
public was the extraterritorial status
of Shanghai seriously challenged.
A second challenge arose with the
imperialistic aims of Japan to domi-
nate China and expel Western in
fluences.
In August, 1910, Britain was COM
PEELED to Withdraw it's troops from
Shanghai, leaving American marines
as the sole guardians of the mu-
nicipality. The Japanese controlled
government of Wang Ching-wei at
Nanking is ready to step in as titular
possessor Of this great port, through
which normally passes one-half of
all China's foreign trade with a pro-
portionate percentage of customs
dues. That, presumably, will be the
political formula, once the marines
are withdrawn.