Shanghai—in case there is some one who has not noticed it—has just passed through one of the most trying years in its history Little over a fortnight from today will see the anniversary of that terrible day when hostilities broke out on the door-steps of this city. The war has moved somewhat further inland since then, but its influence is still as strong as ever and Shanghai—by which is meant ihe International Settlement and the French Concession—will never be quite the same again. the French Conces-i of almost great French national "Quatorze holiday, Juillet,"
and this would seem to be an appropriate moment in which to glance back over the years to the beginning of that tov n without a town, the "Concession Franco de Changhai."
The area for the French settlement, as it was f rst called, was delimited under the agreement signed on April 6, 1849, or two years after the first French consul, Monsieur L. C. de Montigny, had arrived in Shanghai. The agreement between M. de Montigny and ihe Taotai bounded the Concession on the North by the Yangkingpang (now fortunately Avenue Edward VII and not a smelly creek on the South by the Chinese city; on the East by the Whangpoo River; and on the West by the line of the "temple of the God of War and the bridge of the Chow family." The balance of the century saw a gradual spreading of the Concession—chiefly after revolts and rebellions—until by the beginning of the present century it was bounded by Defence Creek (now Vu Ya Ching Road) on the West and by the Little East Gate, Nantao, on the South.
The agreement, incidentally, stipulated that should other nationals wish to acquire land and build within the limits of the new Concession, they would have to apply to the French Consul, "who will take the matter into consideration and act on their behalf."
Objections were immediately raised to this by the English and American consuls, and the title to land in the Concession has, from that day since, been registered in the consulate of ihe national concerned and not necessarily in that of France. The "North-China Herald" in 1885-86 reported that at the end of 1855, there were 243 lots measuring 305 acres registered at the British consulate and 65 lots measuring 76 acres registered at the American consulate.
With the passing of recent years, more and more Old China Hands who knew Shanghai and the Concession of old are retiring, and before long there will be few who will remember that splendid country boulevard known as Avenue Paul Brunat: after the war, its name was changed to Avenue Joffre. The few who still remain, however, point out that although in some respects Shanghai has changed and changed enormously, in many others the basic factors are still much the same and possibly always will be. an best be realized reference to a well-illustrated and dusty tome to be found in the "North-China Daily News" Editorial Office, describing Shanghai at the beginning of the century. Speaking of the French Concession, book say the "Sandwiched between the International Settlement and the Chinese city is the French Concession, a narrow strip of land which widens at each end. It has a frontage of nearly a mile to the Whangpoo and stretches inland for a distance of about a mile and three-quarters, but beyond the western limit the Municipal Council have constructed several fine broad roads... The riverside is lined with an avenue of trees, but is devoid of any other embellishment for, unlike the Bund in the International Settlement, it is almost wholly given up to shipping business. At the foot of the bridge over the Yangkingpang is the semaphore signalling station, from which the weather forecasts for the China coasts are signalled."
"A few yards away," continues the writer, "is the pontoon from which the tenders for the French and German mail steamers sail. Further along are the wharves, offices and godowns of the well-known firm of Butterfield 2, Swire, and the extensive wharves and godowns of the China Merchants Steam Navigation Company. These are centres of great activity. At any hour of the day a constant stream of coolies, bearing heavy burdens of merchandise suspended from poles across their shoulders, may be met passing between the godowns and vessels at the wharves. The Rue de lest, which leads to the east gate of the native city, constitutes the southern boundary of the*concession."
It is difficult to realize that all this was written well over thirty years ago, for it is only the slight discrepancies—such as "the bridge"—which betoken its real vintage. Here are some more illuminating extracts:—Running down the centre of the French Settlement is a long thoroughfare known as the Rue clu Consular. At the corner of this, and overlooking the Whangpoo, stands the French Consulate-General, a handsome building of the Modern Colonial type with wide covered verandahs, that was "opened on January 14, 1896...... The greater portion of the Rue clu Consular is occupied by native shops, and the districts on either side of it are almost exclusively Chinese. Several European buildings of interest, however, are to be seen in the Rue Montauban."
Most of these no longer exist, although the Roman Catholic Church of St. Joseph still occupies its original site. Going further afield, the writer says:—"From the Defence Creek, a splendid wide road, some three miles in length, has been constructed and planted with shady trees. This is the Avenue Paul Brunat, from which radiate most of the other roads built by the French Council in the district lying beyond the confines of the concession. At its western end the road strikes the Siccawei Road, which leads to Bubbling Well on the right and to Jessfield on the left."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.