To the Editor of the "Nonru-Cnixa Dai News"
Sim—it is only after careful consideration that I ask you to give credit to this letter. For it ig as dangerous as thankless a job, even in matters of art, to praise where most of the other people do not believe praise to be due.
It is one of the chief arguments of.the anthforeign tmiovement in China that this country should be let alone with regard to her adapt. tion of western civilization and style of living. The Extremists go oven 20 far as to declare every dirt for good, as long as Chinese dirt, and every cleanness for bad, once they found out the cleanness being due to foreign tervention. Now let me state that I myself did believe in this "no interference—maskee the result" theory. Especially f could not convince myself of there ever turning out something good out of the mixture of western and Chinese ideas in art. And, as I believe art to be the measure of a great many things in life, I considered the ultimate understanding between East and West as topic.
Almost unnoticed on account of Council elections, cotton strikes and new traffic regulations for Nanking Road the last three days saw in one of the local cinemas. the first performances of a Shanghai-breed picture, destined in my opinion to mark a new era in the development. of Chinese 2 movie pictures.
Tam referring to "Broken Jade, a picture, which, strange to say, was produced under the direction of a foreigner and yet tarned out to be the first suecess-
{ul attempt of screening "Chinese ideas, modern Chinese thoughts and I have been lamenting over the hopeless and sometimes ridiculous output of Chinese film companies and directors, who merely copied the chesp-stuff criminal and love stories of the early "Sitting Bull days," the only "Atmosphere" consisting in the use of rieshas, chopsticks and Chinese dresses. course, the actors were but I' would not having taken their pictures. One of the. last productions of this kind went even so far as to play parily in a cabaret, and T wonder What so peasant in Wusih thought yen he saw two Russian dancers 'a Chinese movie picture—if ever the misfortune of China this pieture came so far as Wusih, "Broken Jade" uses very cleverly all the Latest developments of, Chinese scientific and political life, We meet the returned student with "complete education," dressed of in foreign style and master-the art of flattery. There is the young Chinese student, a very charming fellow though, who dedicates his life work to the develop ment of the "one thousand charnel ter movement," undoubtedly one of the finest movements in new China. And, in order to make the picture up-to-date and add the cessary "pep," an important part is taken by a gang of kidnappers. So you see there is all the required atmosphere in the plot of "Broken But of course, not being—om-ployed by your esteemed paper as professional critic and not having any relations whatsoever with the producers of this picture, I would certainly not have taken up your time by stating my appreciation of "Broken Jade" were it not for the fact that this picture is a result of close ce-operation between western skill, western earnest endeavour to understand things Chinese and, on the other hand, of Chinese octo and Chinese mentality, as repre-fed_-by the scenario writer and ife-editor. Understanding for nese mentality, as fay as mate of art were concerned, proved to be a failure when foreign archtects took part in the competition for x tomb of the late Dr. an Yat-sen, Ax this ea-operation in the ease of the Sino-foreign pieture "Broken Jade" wag such a significant success, I thought it appropriate not only to express well-earned appreciation, but also to recommend ce-operation and understanding as the only means by which we can oveveome the pro-sent unsatisfactory conditions.
Hoping that you agree at toast in this one respect with me, T am, ote, Furry 'M. Wirkowskt.
Shanghai, Maveh 3, 1926.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.