At the Victoria Theatre in Haining Road on Sunday morning, in the presence of a representative gathering of journalists, there was a ing" of the new onofilms, made by the De Forest Company, which have just been brought to Shanghai by Mr. Minagawa, a Japanese exhibitor, whose has obtained the sole rights for the Far East.
The presentation was interesting as it demonstrates the progress made by the film people in recent years. Though similar pictures ("pictures which speak," as one gentleman of the press described. them) have been shown in Europe, America and Japan, this, believe, is the first time that' one has been brought to Shanghai and Mr, Minagawa must be congratulat-fed upon his enterprise.
The films are fitted with "notes," which are adjusted to the vowel system and run by electricity, and, as the film turns, 30 do the notes, which produce the sounds, One machine is used but there are different batteries. The sounds are rather louder than natural. This being the first show, there was a series of pictures, intended primarily to demonstrate the new apparatus, First of all, there is music by Roy Smock, who demonstrates on a number of instruments, including the banjo, the guitar and the ukulele. Then there is dancing, to the ncjcompaniment of an orchestra, ete. By far, the most interesting part of the programme was President Coolidge delivering a speech in the wrdens of the presidential mansion, the White House, The words could be heard quite plainly and dis tinguished as he went along, but there was a distinguished nasal sound. Whether the United States President speaks thus, we do not know but one could discern every word that was said.
The pictures were quite novel and extremely well done. They should do well out here, and we can recommend them being well worth ing. cod kiang, the Chinese ting, Tupan of
abandoned his plan to. esttablish a military bureau at Lunghua. It is said that he will soon return to Nanking. great stabilizing factor. There is becoming gradually to be a new regard for foreign trade.
Until the decade from 1900 to 1910 there was little interest in foreign trade. Some foodstuffs were exported, but these were not sold; they were bought. During and since the world war, exporting was developed and foreign trade had become synonymous with ex porting. Imports had received little attention. Now, however, there was a new attitude developing. This was caused, first, because of the growing need of the United States for imported products. Manufacturing had grown until it had become a' more important, than agriculture and the United States was coming to the place where she could not supply the amount or quality of the raw material needed for manufactures, The Largest Creditor A further reason for the growing interest. in imports was that America had become the great creditor nation. The balance of trade was so much in her favour that this balance must be checked and overcome by imports.
The imports of the United States must increase and must pass the oxcarts, Unless this happens, the exports must decrease to below the imports in order that the debtor nations may pay in this way. This new movement is not to be ree gretted, but is an indication of the high standard of living in America and shows distinct prosperity.
In conclusion, the speaker" said that once all these factors mentioned. become perfected and the markets of the country stabilized, only the grent economic storms of' the world can affect the financial status of the United States, and science is the only business flood control of the country. America's financial status was-more likely to become stable and-weare than Tess 50,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.