(Continued from page 5) cession, The supply of electricity is only partial, the S.A.D. 1 and Jardine Estate being entirely without it, except in the case of those firms who are their own producers. Scavenging and drain cleaning are taken care of only in the S.A.D. 3 and French Concession. Elsewhere they copeer to be primarily the care of individual residents. A police force, as already stated, does not appear to function, except to control the movement of Chinese and foreign wayfarers.
Traffic Chaos Traffic conditions beggar description. Only the Bund is open to through-traffic, and that is everlastingly congested by military transport of all descriptions, - Military trucks, veritable juggernauts, tear up and down at break-neck speed, making their own right of way and their own rules of the road, each driver a law unto himself. Accidents are of frequent occurrence; a Japanese statement has it that two to three trucks are lost daily, often with loss of life. The battered appearance of numerous street standards bears silent but eloquent testimony to the Character of this driving. Happily, Such accidents are usually between members of the same fraternity, but the reason is solely that residents are i|learning to keep off the roads completely. Police on point-duty are totally absent, probably a blessing, because their signals would assuredly be ignored, and their presence would thus merely add to the confusion and danger.
At frequent intervals and for prolonged periods whole sections of roads are completely closed to permit of the unharried passage of some military, or possibly other, potentate. Where there is only one thoroughfare in the town, this is no mere inconvenience, for it involves a complete suspension of all vehicular and, frequently, pedestrian trafic. It may be in accordance with recognized Japanese practice, but local opinion is little disposed to accept so tolerant a view.
Japanese admission of foreign property rights is grudging and the cause of friction and numerous protests. At the back of it is the firm conviction that great Chinese wealth secreted behind foreign facades, it must be admitted that the widespread prostitution of foreign flags has given no small justification to such an attitude. No doubt tne authorities follow the advice of their agents and spies, but there are times when they are ill-served, and worse, as for instance when they have fumed the property of a highly respected firm into a brothel and consular intervention has become necessary. The seizure and forcible occupation of B. & S. wharves and their retention in face of numerous protests, apparently on the ground that necessity knows no law, promises to become a classic in cavalier treatment of third-party rights.
Equalling in romantic glamour the tales of boy and girl elopements to Gretna Green, or Hollywood portrayals of shipboard friendships which, under the influence of a tropical moon, ripen into love and happy marriage, was the story behind the wedding of Dr. Allston Gourdin. and Miss Rose Bogdanoff im Shanghai last night.
Both Dr. Gourdin, who is an American doctor practising in Hongkong, and his bride, also an American, joined the (Canadian Pacific liner Empress of Japan as she left Canada on her voyage to the Far East. Both were bound for Hongkong and, as in all romantic novels, both met on board.
Although it is not known if there was a tropical moon with the neces-ary kalmy breezes without which Hollywood romances could never be produced, both of the young people fell in love and made certain quick decisions, which became apparent as the ship docked in Shanghai yesterday.
Hastily engaging the services of two friends, the young couple made enquiries in the town and the early evening found them knocking at the Rev. John P. Minter's door, with the two friends still in attendance. Mr.
Minter, who is pastor of the Ccmmunity Church, to his surprise was mei with a request to marry the couple and after rétovering from his astonishment found that certain difficulties prevented this, but inspired by their. tale of romance. arranged for the Rev. W. Robert Taylor of the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society to perform the ceremony.
Dr. Gourdin and Miss Bogdanoff, with the two friends, did not waste eny time and half an hour or so later found them man and wife, the licence having been issued by Mr. Taylor who married the happy couple at his home at 770 Bubbling Well Road.
Dr. and Mrs. Gourdin, who leave for Hongkong today, will make their home in the Colony and al! best wishes for their future happiness will go with them as they leave the Empress of Japan, for such a romance as theirs deserves a happy ending.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.