A correspondent writes:—I had an interesting half-hour the other day with an_ educated and very earnest young Chinese who was very pessimistic about Shanghai, its general conduct. He was more particularly concerned, of course, with the Chinese viewpoint of the matter but he raised many points which are of interest to foreigners as well, for it must be the concern of our authorities, "Shanghai," my Chinese ' friend, said, "is the worst city in the world in which to bring up a young family." A sweeping assertion, truly; yet one in support of which he advanced several valid and quite strong arguments. Among the mid dle class and the better class Chinese (if we exclude from the latter certain of the official type) there is a deep-seated love of country. These are the people who unite with the foreigners in the devout hope that out of the Lincheng evil there may emerge great good for the country—but not at the expense of intervention in any shape or form, naturally. These Chinese are in Shanghai and of Shanghai, as much as the foreign population who have built the city. They are here to stay; and, if they could but be united as a body, would do much for good in the Settlement. But it would seem that their peace of mind is being sadly disturbed by evil elements compared to which the armed robber was as naught. One of these, and the most dangerous (according to my informant) is the well-dressed blackmailer, a scoundrel who is common to all countries and races, and of whose practices we have heard before in Shanghai. It is said, however, that the vile fraternity is becoming much more common in the Settlement and the wealthy classes are suffering accordingly. 4
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.