of Police In an effort to clear the French Concession of a portion of the Beggar horde which invaded the foreign administered sections _of Shanghai in unprecedented numbers during the holiday season, the French Police on Dec, 27 launched 'a general: und-up of these unfortunate dregs of humanity, The poorer Chinese "business "quarter, streets in. the neighbourhood of the Rue clu Consular and yielded. the largest quot Eentrated misery. in Gneient men and women, seemingly the Inst. stages of disease. and decay, with' tattered "coverings Which defied discovery. of original colour or intent, were diser from. wierd passages and hidden Collected "in pol vans, they were joined by" Seoutings of the highways, younger Specimens in an unbelievable state of filth and neglect, and cly. the Tame, blind and decrepit with deform ities and Injuries taunted thely stocks in. trade.
Tntultively apprised of the police Interest in their pertens, some of the lacemingly meith display.
unexpected agility and. speed in endeavouring ¢0 avoid capture. One beggar of this ilky whos, the moe ment before had been hitching himself painfully along. the pavement, Jumped to. his fect and made apirlte, tenon unavailing, dash for safety. Another, ostensibly blind, experienced no "difficulty. in detecting a. bine uniform heading down on him block away and, Without hesitation, dived for, a friendly. alleyway." " Some of the captured, had strayed from other haunts, in particular a benevolent appearing, Whishered old fellow usually, makes Nanking Road andthe Bund his sphere of oper: Hons. "Another, a woman, with small child, was caught In the net, fae afield from the road which, for a few days anyway, will be freed of her presence.
But while there may have bec some doubt. as 10 the authenticity of the alllctions of many of the fraternity, no captious critic could question the. goneval condition of grime and neglect. Te one and all the use" of soap and water clearly as much of a mystery as Einstein theory, and. noted that the Chinese constable Took great care to avoid any sonal contact with their quarry.
Most of the beggars collected were of the professional class, members of their recognised gui Where features are well-known the police from. many previous, milar round-ups. Only" a. few, "erly inthe minority, could be seed as victims of the up-country floods or "other recent native disasters, To consign this motley aggregation to. a foreign gaol would. only precipitate additional problems of equal magnitude, the police state, "Consequently, in ace Zordance with the policy. adopted the International Settlement authorities as well vs the French Concession Police, the swoonings of the day were carted to a convenient section of Chinese territory and Gradually, one by one, they creep back again Into the Sore Settlement but for the time-being at least, the. harassed shopkeepers and pedestrians will be free from] their importunities,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.