To the Editor of the "Nonru-Cuina Dany News.
Sin—Your "Note and Comment under the heading of "Street Names," brings to. public notice matter which has long cupied my mind with a good deal of thought, not to mention a little concern. "Your journal speaks of some of the very fine street names in Shanghai. Te is true that many streets bear the names of eminent city fathers, while those of the Central District have been arranged according to a special system. How-fever, generally speaking, there never was a greater conglomeration of meaningless terminology, both English and Chinese, than Shanghhai's street names. In a great many eases purely Chinese quarters have been given high-sounding Enq ish names which no Chinese can pronounce, while the foreign residential quarters bear names which fare quite meaningless to the: Westexner. Perhaps some of your readers will recollect a controversy which took place in these columns a few years ago concerning the nomenclature of "streets in the French Concession, the writer accussing the French Authorities of naming their streets after _nonentities, ide the case of Route Barreé. "Who is M. Barrée any-war?"
'This however, is only by the way, I now come to' the principal point of my letter. Your article appears under the heading of "Street umes." But, Mr, Editor, have you not observed that there are none in the International Settlement of Shanghai, at least only one which I am aware, an inglorious little alleyway at the back of the Ecole de Sainte Jeanne D'Are which rejoices in the ridiculous name of "Sing Ping Street." All the vest Mr. "Editor are simply humble roads. Parish Roads if you prefer it. I blush when Tread in the London papers of Shanghai's pri How parochial it sounds. In. the Frenche Concession the authorities have at Toast made the honourable distinction between Rive and Route. Why has our International Settle. ment still retained all the chavaeteristics of a country village, though it has assumed the outward appear ance of one of the really great cities of the world?) Really' this matter is too preposterous for words. and requires instant attention.
T would recommend that the word road be completely erased from all {important thoroughfares and" the Gignified title of street be subs stituted, Then would Shanghai be able to hold up her head among: the other great cities of the world, for Ynow of no other, in English speaking. countries, where this. obsolate state of affairs still exists Even the smallest village in Ene-Jand can usually boast of its Hish Street, Perhaps your readers will support ame in this matter, which though it appears trivial, probably plays an important role' in the attitude of faraway politicians and a far-away
polis. able in regard to our fair metro-
Tam, ete,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.