Duties of U.S. Officials During the Past Year The American Consulate-General at Shanghai has issued for the first time to the public a summary of. the work done by the office for any calendar year, that of the year closing on December 31, 1922. The passport department, under 10 different headings including applications, visas, and emergencies, has handled 4,008 certificates. Seamen shipped, discharged, deserted, relieved and deceased come into the records 2,643 times. Perhaps the largest mass of letters ever received and sent by the Shanghai office, was that of the past year when the total reached more than 33,000 pieces of first class mail, in addition to which 381 telegrams were sent and 1,945 despatches received.
It will be of particular interest to note that American citizens to the number of 1,028 renewed their regis tration.certifloates, and 368 were issued. "This is more. or less of a voluntary function on the part of citizens, though the Consulate urg*s everyone eligible to register. This figure seems very small when compared to the 1920 postal list of American addresses, which is 2,913 for both the International and French Settlements. Figures ary often said to be misleading, but it remains very evident that a large mass of local Americans have failed to avail themselves of this privilege. According to statistics, considering that no arrivals or departures are noted, the population is on the increase, for 61 more births than deaths are recorded—114 for the former and 53 for the latter, besides 66 marriage ceremonies. ''Whereabouts" and welfare cases number 170.
There were 8,434 invoices which vent through the files of the office while 573 ships were entered ant 566 cleared, with 568 bills of health issued. Fifty-one marine protests and three extended protests were considered. One hundred and eight business interviews were given by Consular officials with representatives of American firms in connexion with the extension of trade, and 351 trade inquires answered, besides 95 voluntary trade reports received and 46 called for.
The Consulate recorded:
Protests of Bills of Exchange 328 Deeda issued 28 'Transfers of Title 149 Trademark Applications 221 Mixed Court Hearings by' Assessors 745
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.