To the Editor of the "Norra-Cuixa Datty News."
Srm,—In your leaderette under the above title in to-day's "N.-C. D. N." dealing with the West End theatre land you ask What one would like to know out here is how far these plays are true to Chinese life and scenery."
Tt may interest you to know that Mr. Leon M. Lion spared no pains to have the Chinese reception room used in "The Chinese Puzzle" as true to Chinese life as possible. The Chinese Minister in London permitted him to copy the main reception room in the Chinese Legation which, although not purely Chinese, was Chinese enough for the purposes of the play. The Chinese Secretaries were freely consulted, and nearly all the Legation staff were at the dress Te-hearsay.
And yet with all the trouble taken there were two errors which, perhaps, only a resident of the Far East would notice. When the writer took down the clever sayings of Chin Loong he always commenced writing (1) Chinese from the bottom right hand corner; and when Chin Loong bade his guests farewell not once did he escort them to the door and "'sung" them with true Oriental politeness.
Quite a different matter was the staging of "Shanghai" which was played. at Drury Lane two years ago. The artist responsible for the scenery must have coupled pictures of Hongkong and the best bits of the Min River below Foochow, with a vivid imagination.
T am, ete., W. J. Hawxrnos.
Shanghai, Nov. 12.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.