Possible Opening in the Near Future: The Building and its Decoration Described last it seems that thege is a decided probability that the Ritz Cafe,, successor to the establishment familiarly known throughout Shanghai as "The Wheel", will open its doors, to cater to the public as a fashionable restaurant and dance hall, under conditions with which none can quarrel save those who contend that such places are unnecessary anywhere-and the number of such in Shanghai is very small. Tt was quite a while ago when, after hearing for a long while of the glories of the new place, residents were advised that it would open on a certain date. Everything was in readiness and tables were booked, but, at the last moment, it was found that the Chinese would not permit the opening.
Quite a lot has been happening behind the scenes since then. The main thing that had to be looked at was the fact that there are heavy foreign mortgages on the place and the building, after all the money that has been spent on it, is useful only for the purpose for which it was designed. The upshot was that a board of directors of unimpeachable character was formed and the concern taken over and registered as a French company. Tt has been accorded the moral hacking of the highest foreign official dom here and thg French Consul himself has applied' to the Chinese authorities for a nee. Every guarantee has been given that the character of the Ritz will be beyond reproach and, indeed, the directors themselves are security enough for this, for they are Messrs. A. clu Pac de Marsoulies, Hugo Reiss, M. Reader Harris, J. Thesmar, J. Beudin and Dr. W. T. Findley.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.