Meanwhile, since the winter of 1931-32, China has been in the throes of an increasingly severe economic depression. The fall of internal com-
"whoopee" quite along the Unes established in other countries.
The trouble with Harbin 1s that is becoming stereotyped. Even at the Fantasia the programme was less Russian. A. samovar of coffee and a smal bottle of brandy between six entirely failed to dispel the illusion that one was realty not in Harbin, for the language wes the only thing to differentiate the place from a Shanghai cabaret, if allow ance is made for the excellence of the programme. Of course when we were tired of Fantasia and went back to Yar, the manager met us, with the same satisfied smile, but told us that there was now no room, in the inn, Perhaps it was just as well, for by then it was nearly four o'clock and jocund day was preparing to stand tiptoe on the misty mountain tops.
Other evenings of research into the subject of the night life of Harbin, reaffirmed the original impression of a considerable change. The old equivalent of the cafe chant ant, where performers poked their heads through comic pictures painted on canvas and sang: ongs of topical and sometimes painful interest to those prominent enough to come up for Izmpooning, seems to have disappeared. Perhaps there is greater discipline observed in such matters nowadays, for formerly the satires indulged in were apt to create a great deal of heartburning.
But there are still the little "Pectopar" to be found down in dingly basements. The accordion still produces sweet music to a company Russian songs, or give a diminutive organ effect to the plaintive Russian melodies. The folk dances of the Russians are still on occasion to be heard coming up. 'a flight of steps from a room some feet below the pavement. But the biggest change of all is at Giduljian's which has the reputation for the best food in town and the adelea attraction of an orchestra composed entirely of women. They also were uniformed and played exceptionally well, even if the gir) who mani pulated the saxophone did seem a little out of breath on occasion.
Nevertheless shortness of money and the advent of the cinema in force, charging prices well within the most modest of purses has re-Jduced the opulence of Harbin's night life, But even the cinemas cater late hours, for one commences its ast show at 10.45 pin. and if that not late enough with the wildest night owl, whatever will be? modity prices, the drain of silver from the hinterland into Shanghai and thence abroad, periods of fight of capital from China, the unusual rise of interest rate, and other pollical factors, have brought trade and industry almost to a standstill and driven the rural population, the backbone of the nation's economic life, to the verge of bankruptey. Particularly since the summer of 1934, an acute monetary situation of near-panic proportions, throughout the country at large and Shanghai in particular, has arisen out of the rise of the valtie of China's monetary -unit out of line with the general level of commodity prices, which has involved severe de-fa tionary effects on China's economy. These conditions have been. shaking the foundation of the country's financial structure, entailing serious hardships to the people and to the Government. Considering this comination of misfortunes, it is surprising that even worse financial ills have not resulted,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.