July 18.
Civilisation advances. The progress seems to demand constant inroads into the peaceful privacy of the individual. Invention carries with it the jeupacity to make a noise. The result is that poor humanity, especially that portion herded in the cities, suffers from outraged Jnerves, shattered eardrums and kindred ills. Here in Shanghai no topic can instantly command more expert illustre subject of noise. During this Weather, when every morning, like the ingenuous subaltern, the Shanghailander can congratulate himself on "another nice sunny day," there is a special susceptibility to noise. To begin with, thie is the season of the year when everyone in the building trade seems to be making Shang-rai pleasant for the cold weather This involves Jexormous amount of hammering, palling down walls, digging up streets, dragging steel girders labour, tossing pipes on to stone courtyards, marshalling steam-rollers. indeed Shanghai is eloquent of its solicitude for the comfort of the lordly folk who fare now either visiting the Century of Progress Fair at Chicago, basking on the banks of the "Thames, discussing silver with Mr. Pittman while the next batsman is putting on his pads lat Lords, obtaining Herr Hitler' views on Chancellor—Dollfuss, yachting in the Solent or doing nothing in Ireland. All those refugees from the Whangpoo's tyrannical routine will be here again by October or thereabouts. They must come back toa bright, tidy, smooth-running hanghai, ' Meanwhile the mis-is who are sentenced. to remain behind cannot expect to their feelings specially This, however, gives a clea line "on the noise problem. Let it be granted that protests against the renovator, repairer lor other reconstructor are unding. In a few weeks' time that trouble will be past. Is it not possible to take up the cudgels Jon behalf of the innocent cold weather resident—firmly and unselfishly? How will he of she, on return, like to find a dancing saloon' within a few lyards of the selected residence? Witt the recent journey to America or Europe reconcile him Jor her to the blatant intrusion of the radio at all hours of the night? Cannot something be done to mitigate the tram or Imotorman's craze for hooting? May pet, that mu! philanthropy. which the proper care of used to develop a grand cam paign for suppressing the wail fig of all humans under the age Jo 12? May not hawkers assigned a special beat in which they may monotonously announce trade? Before the Shang-thai Municipal Council goes into recess will it not be possible to map out the International Settlement on new lines giving to certain areas immunity from the obligation to cater to the peculiar tastes of those who delight to dance all night and glee Heaven knows when? And plans for carrying this scheme lof humanitarian silencing can b put in force at once no-one at present in Shanghai is likely to complain, If the devotes of new economic systems guarantee led to solve the world's problems the twinkling of an eye would apply their massive brains—to the calculation of the wealth lost by the sleeplessness of victims lof the present noise mania, they would be doing a real They would probably so the "Municipal Author a boom—carefully muflel of course—would immediately delight the manufacturers of, patent silencers.
There indeed might be a effective remedy for this neis nuisance if a general law were passed compelling everyone to consume his or her own noise. This would naturally be extend-led to imposition on inventors. of the obligation to provide their respective inventions with noise absorbers. In fact on the whole world of invention the "Doom of Silence" might be inflicted. Why should a scientist take credit for enabling Shanghai to communicate with London by: ait~ waves if the process involves jeracklings and -buzzings which disturb the sleep of the penguins fin Alaska? Why should an aero. plane engine make an airman fly fat 300 miles an hour or more fand also make such a din that Jeven the sleepers on the Nanking-Shanghai Railway cannot lie peacefully on their tracks—to the manifest dismay of the bondholders? Why should the Igolden-voiced announcer in New York or Paris or Berlin oF London address himself to, his admirer in Shanghai without faking: any precaution to ensure that the conversation is reason lably exclusive? Then there (Continued on page 94.)
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.