Anyone with sufficient time to spare and a gift for analysis might produce an interesting array of reasons as to why proposals for the establishment of a public library and museum in Shanghai have been received with such calm indifference. Periodically, critics have arisen to smite the old book store known as the Municipal Library in Nanking Road, but the wrath of one has raised no tumult in chorus Even the committee of the library appears to have an uneasy feeling that the institution is not all it should be as the intellectual centre of so intelligent a community, and not so long ago its Chairman wrote a nice long apologetic, winding up with visions of some future intellectual mansion in which our literary and artistic treasures are to be housed. At whose expense? In the innocence of his heart, Dr. MacGillivray thought it possible that some public spirited gentleman, with high imagination and a dee) purse, might provide the needful. And that was the end of the matter. Now comes Mr. Sowerby to suggest that what Shanghai really needs is. a first class natural history museum, and again the town refuses to be stirred into any dis. play of enthusiasm. The conclusion must be that, having got on tolerably well so far, Shanghai is prepared to take the risk of doing without a public library, art gallery and museum for a few more years. Perhaps the Chinese authorities will attend to the matter when the Settlement reverts to their anxious care. At present, that would seem to be about the most hopeful prospect.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.