Signor Lojacono followed time honoured diplomatic custom in addressing the Zero Club the other day in French, His chief host modestly had avoided either Italian or the classic language of diplomacy, on the ground that such an effort would have too completely fulfilled one of the chief functions of oratory—the concealment of thought. In inter~ national gatherings proficiency in foreign languages seems taken as a matier of course. Yet Shanghai actually presents some remarkable examples of that faculty. The British and Amerigan communities cannot plume themselves greatly bu this characteristic of Shanghai. Theirs is usually the easy course. On that account they will be all' the more appreciative the skill with which Chinese speakers, for example, match fluent English with perhaps knowledge of one of the Chinese dialects in addition to their respective mother tongues. The considerable body of French-speaking Chinese gains recognition from all who have occasion to attend gatherings under French auspices. Probably the palm has to be riven to some of those European nationals who can speak three or four. of the European tongues besides conversing in Chinese and being fluent in English. The variety of accent is noticeable. Here the Chinese seem to be the most adept in assimilating the native atmosphere. The Chinese from America, from Australia or from Europe speaks the English language with the local accent of his acquisition of the accomplish ment, This faculty on the part of the educated Chinese has an echo in the curiously uncanny—gift possessed by the humble houseboy who, often, seems to answer the telephone in the exact tone and accent of his employer, occasionally to the mutual embarrassment of that flattered individual and his caller when the latter, not sensing hat he has managed to make what the sailors call a direct "hit, Dlandly asks "Master have got?"
The newcomer to Shanghai expresses surprise at the frequency with which speech-making is invoked to decorate public entertainments here. Shanghai has compelled even the most. tongue-tied and diffident arrival, before he or she is within measurable approach of leaving the griffin stage, to rise and utter a few words. The Club dinner invariably includes certain guests and hosts who affect to be unable to enjoy the menu because of its reminder that before the assembly disperses they will have to get on their legs. This belief in the power of speech to stimulate good cheer results in turning out some fine and many indifferent orators. There are men and women to whom Shang~ hai gives the sign "Pass friend; all is well". There are others. The sitted after-dinner speaker much in request, and he nobly runs the risk of' exhausting the repertory of his surprises in this exceedingly restricted society. The poor "rabbit? plods along, suffers the tortures of the damned, refuses the help of notes, for they only make him more nervous and consoles himself with the belief that he has performed so execrably that invitations to speak at other gatherings are not likely to pour in upon him. No doubt this Shanghai habit has its good points. Tt has also its horrors. "But for it some men—women will not mentioned in so critical a vein— would have gone through in life in a splendid state of inarticulation. Unhappily and, to do them Justice, on the first occasion much against their will, they have been cajoled into making @ speech, giving a lecture or reading @ paper. That cruel kindness, which is.so marked a human trait, incites their friends to congratulate them on this maiden effort. The sense of having broken the silence of hitherto irreproachable life becomes overwhelming. Thus. there created the notion that, like the slatest book on China, the neophyte is filling a long-felt want. He aspires to speak at more dinners for other occasions. He takes to the study of cliches, books of anecdotes and even ventures to cast an eye on a "handy elocution-is guide", His fate is sealed.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.