To the Editor of the "Nowra-Cuina DAILY Mzws"
Sm—Can you leurious and growl (Chinese of both sexes are adopting lof discarding their -own names anc taking an alias?
It seems more than odd, as one might imagine such a practice to contrary to the spirit of the Chinese Mind: might even, one supposes, bring down opprobrium fon the ' persons so acting, and engender, like other unpaid borrowings, a faint measure of shame.
One notices that English Christian james are invariably selected, why this, and why not the very charm-if names of other countries including very pretty ones from a more adjacent country?
ige one's rame in England, 1 understand, involves the execution lof a Deed, and advertisement of such change in prominent newspapers.
Can John Smith change his name in China to, let us say, Wong Zung-chang without any legal formalin ties? If Mr, Wong Lee changes is name to Mr. Wellington Lee at his own caprice, is that final or how many times can he take another alias in his lifetime?
When & Chinese bride is married, is she wedded under her real nam jor under her Eny pseudonym'
Would legal difficulties be likely to arise in the event, let us assume, lof an inheritance when Mrs. Something-or-other Wong is found under the fictitious name of Mrs. Lily Jor Mrs, Rosie Wong Do the inhabitants of other countries practice this peculiar plan of Jiettisoning their real names?
In the event of war between Great [Britain and China, might not Mr. Marlborough or Wellington Wong, Jand similarly Migs Ishbel Zang, find themselves at a disadvantage in the eyes of their compatriot remember dim; judices of this kis the last war.
Is this practice of borrowing names only to be found in the Treaty Ports, or is it becoming general: in the-rest of China? Has an Englishman any grounds for resentment at the indiscriminate jand fantastic selection of the beautiful and cherished names of those nearest and dearest to him by persons who have not one atom of right to. ther
Chinese no longer honoured? Has And finally is the name of, 9 it become merely an empty and jwalueless thing, which can changed at will as often as the jeaprice <2 the bearer dictates and into a foreign alien nomenclature? Cuantes R. SHAW.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.