Yet, inspire of the mushroom: live growth and success of American {ede and nativity in Shanghai, the tarly "days of-" American enter-Pek, of 0 certain sordid. humour, wise were mot without, draw-
America lis, however, a. knack. for ering: along, in the world and the ite of being able to laugh testily at disown expense. tu the Brat place the "'Amerlenn " Eplocopal, Church Hissin' could nat "have_picked out fi more unhealthy and. dangerous Role. than "the "Hongkew district Which it chose for its site. And When! rs He Gy Woleot" arrived, declaring in no uncertain terms that he was. the United States Consul, the malaria-filled The verbal ish which followed after the flag raising was only quieted when it was pointed out that the territory across the Whangpoo was to be the American Settlement and safe from any British law, which extended only as far as the Bund Side of the Soochow Creek and the Whangpoo.
America got its settlement, on the wrong side of the creek, and by the same token became the rendezvous for every deserter, criminal, and drunkard who got off a ship in Shanghai port. Most of the scum which gathered in America's choice of territory were Americans, it must be admitted, yet a goodly number of British and Portuguese were represented. Jack ashore became a veritable nuisance, who, after break-tig every law possible within the Settlement boundaries, took himself over to American territory and thereby got himself out of police control. The place became a refuge for every sort of criminal and the scene of every sort of crime. America in Shanghai promptly alized her impetuous mistake and mnuckled down" to the British, with the result that in 1863 the two territories were united and the International Settlement came into existence.
Striking Changes The United States, however, did not allow its Shanghai citizens to buy land. Until 1916 when the present property of the American Consulate was purchased for Tls. 426,- 000, from Edward Ezra, that body The entrance of the old Mixed Court when it was 0 was housed in rented premises. This year a million gold dollars will be spent by the American Government to build for the U. S. Consulate in mas and dignified. The first Shanghai a building which will be
building to be erected in the same district in Shanghai was a bungalow constructed by an American named Everington, who, incidentally, was the first foreign man to die in Shanghai, in 1848.
To-dey there are 300 American firms established in Shanghai including three American exchange banks. There is an American Chamber of Commerce, an American downtown club and a country club as well, a university club, a women's club, an athletic association, a bar association, a volunteer, military company, an American Troop, an American newspaper, and a well-equipped American school. The re-
Nanking Road in the eighties. cent purchases by American interests of the Shanghai municipal electric plant amounted to gold $60,000,000, Commercial aviation for China is being developed' under American auspices and contracts have been entered into by the Chinese Govern. ment with two American groups f the. establishment, of commercial aviation routes. The first trans-China flight was made in an American plane manned by three Chinese trained in America. China-American Wireless communications have been furthered by the concluding of eon-tracts for the erection of two wire-Tess stations at Shanghai, one for communications between Shanghai and America and the other between Shanghai and Europe.
'With very few exceptions the films shown in Shanghai cinema houses are made in America and distributed by' American film companies Shanghai, Due to the Shanghai public's fondness for cinemas, Amin general, and Hollywood in ticular, have been overwhelmingly advertised.
The American Players who reduce amateur drama upon tie legitimate stage wus started under the auspices of tke American Women's Club in the spring of 1924 'The success of the first group led to the formation of its own organization and in 1928 they built a studio for rehearsing and storage on Rue Cardinal" Mercier. 'The American Club was started' in 1016 when a group of fellows got torethor re-Rularly to demonstrate their know-edge of bridge. At that time it was proposed that it be limited to 52 members "and a joker" and it was immediately named the Slam Club. Hardly had it been organized when applications for membership made larger quarters necessary. The name was changed to "American Club" and it is to-day housed in a six-storey building. There are now 4,113 members.
That, commercially, America in Shanghai has flourished goes. without saying. The demand for Ameri-
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Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.