The Chinese Young Men's Christian Association has just completed the purchase of a site for a branch building located in the French Concession on Boulevard de Mon-tiny near the corner of Avenue Edward VII. The lot is close to the intersection of tram lines that reach out into the western, southern and eastern districts where there is a population of a half million people. It has a frontage of 140 feet on the Boulevard and runs through to Rue de Palikao. For some time the Szechuen Road buildings have proved inadequate for the demands of an Association which now has 4,000 members and this past year had an enrolment of 2,115 students in day and evening classes. While the present Association building on Szechuen Road is quite convenient for mem-berg living in the central and northern districts, the new building will accommodate the young men of the western and southern sections of the city. The purchase has been made possible by the recent sale of a property on Hongkong Road, the money for which was secured by public subscription.
The Y.M.C.A. expects in time to erect a building on the new site that will be modern in every particular. There has been much progress in the work of the Association since the erection of the men's building in the year 1907 and the Elman showed his genius. Again present demands are for larger and in the "Albumblatt" of Wagner—|better accommodation. It will in-not so often heard as it should be|clude offices, library, educational -—one was struck by the composer's class rooms, gymnasium, swimming amazing intimacy with every ins-pool, bowling alleys, dining rooms, strument for which he composed. roof gardens, etc. In addition Like Chopin on the piano, he|there will be large provision made knew exactly how much the violin}for dormitory accommodation, may be asked to dor and now and then a player like Mischa Elman is found who can give all that, entering into the composer's very soul and opening it up to that of the audience. The third item that specially appealed to us was_ the Beethoven-Auer Turkish March, a thing of intoxicating delight. Surely if our Edinburgh correspondent had been there on Saturday he would not have scouted: the idea of a violin being able to lead an army into battle Not enough has, perhaps, been said of Mischa Elman's technical equipment. His bowing is beyond praise and his fingering a wonder: but this especially about him is noticeable, that the difficulties he surmounts are not: with some players one's first thought is, Fancy being able to- play that thing! But - with Mischa Elman the most appalling pieces seem quite easy and one only marvels at the beauty and meaning that he evokes from passages which in another's -hands would be mere fireworks.
He was as before inimitably a2- companied (one wishes there were another word) by Mr. Locsser—the Sarasate being a conspiewous example of the pianist's ability to -identify himself wholly with his which is in great demand at the present time.
The directors of the Shanghai Association hope in time to erect several branch buildings in various districts. ufé early hours on Monday, the Municipal police raided a house in Yangtszepoo, discovered to be the headquarters of thieves who have been active in the neighbourhood of late, and eight men were arrested. Five of them have since been identified -as having taken part in recent armed robberies.
An impudent theft was committed on Monday morning by three foreigners who visited a piece goods hong in Tientsin Road While one of them engaged the attention of the assistant, the others opened a drawer in one the desks and abstracted $400. Thi robbery was not discovered until after the men had left the shop, but from the information given to the police inquiries were made which give promise of early arrests being made. leader, so that. one- might think there were not two players but one.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.