To the Editor of the "Noera-Cutsa Datry News.
Sin,—I have lived a great many years in China and am more than ever convin of the great utility there is in kno: Chinese, especially to those whose business brings them into duily contact with the masses, such as policemen, public and Municipal servants, and others.
Saturday night a sturdy German jor, flush from the shrine of Bacchus, was deposited in front of n constable by a ricsha coolie who knew not whither to take him. We tried to find out where he belonged and finally got from the sailor the words "Old Dick." The constable's vrexbulary was limited to two words, Old Dock chee lo." Uofortunately this was not enough, I told the enolic the destination in Chinese: ho immediately understood? and the poor fellow was moved along with a fair chance of being taken to his destination, Last evening several Yankee coons in a gloriously jolly condition were making things hun near the Garden Bridge to large crowd of onlookers. The police were there, trying to get away the drunk and incapable to the Station. Again the wan: lof direction was manifest. "Chee lo," chee Lo," but where to? "Sin boo tuny" is a very easy phrase to remember and it} would have closed the way. If these! public functionaries would lora a few! hundred words and phrases. how helpful it would be to them, and what a splendid opportunity they have for doing ea while, walking up and down their beat every day in the streets. Many of the Sikh policemen speak the Shanghai lingo quite fuent'y and why should not the foreigners do the same? A little zeal—properly applied—would help: to make their duties much smoother; as it is now whenever the least contretemps happens a deadlock is sure to enstte and the magic-baton has to b brought into requisition.. In India, I believe, most if not all public servants, and a very large percentage of the white population, speak Hindustani, which is not less difficult than Chinese.
Lam, ete.,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.