By "S190
'Shanghai, Mir. 15, Every nation has Its men who, with lottie er no. edeation and a' total absence of background, rise to lead-{ng positions in different spheres of human activity. Not every nation, however, treats them in the same Russians are" particularly of their self-made men, specially if nature happens to ha endowed them with an inventive turn of mind... This year a century has passed since the death of Ivan Batov, Whose name as a maker of fine musical "instruments will die only when the art of music suffers. the fame end, During his life he made 41 violins, 6 cellos, 3 altos and 10 Guitars, whose notes have been called nothing short of magical. Carved on teach of these instruments, which tom are considered priceless, is the ame of Batov. In. a government collection of rare old musical instru ments in Petersburg there is one of his cellos which 1s constructed 0 Wonderfully that musicians can play the most dimeult scores on it without Ding tired in the least, while playing on the old Hallan eelies is infinitely more tiring to the hands, Ju 1833 a musician, whose name hes. not been handed down to posterity, Arrived In St. Petersburg from Europe fand stated that in the concert halls of Vienna the public was enthralled by the playing of the brilliant virtuoso Lipinsky. His violin was of Russian make, and bore the name of Ivan Batov. Lipinskky himself said that the Russian master was not one whit worse than the old Hallan* masters Stradivarius and Ghvarnerl, In the beginning of the present mntury it was noted by musical illes. that wonderful ella made its appearance in the orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre, Solos on this instrument evoked enraptured amazement from the audience, Its full" and mellow tonal quality was truly optional, Tt was goon found out that the eetla was made a hundred years ayo by Batov.
Self-made Products Ivan Batov was pom a sert of Count Sheremetelf. "It speaks eloquently for the progress he made from that position that, later, Emperor Alexander, who studied the violin ince childhood, expressed the desire to have one of his violins and gave him the sum of §2,000—a colossal price for' those times. Generally Speaking, many men of unusual talent sprang. from. serfdom in Russio—Artists whose names were later known all over the country, musicians, singtr, daners and even pools. Promin= font among them was that product of self-education, 'Kuzma Frolov, who Invented a machine for sifting' gold-dust. From. the Ural mountains Where he worked his fame was ried to the ears of Empress Cath= rine the Great, and he was summoned to St. Petersburg, where he Feeeived an award from the Empress herself, while his son was placed in the Cadet Corps at government many among them assert that Ukrainia wishes to be independent only as long as.the present regime is In power in Russia. No doubts can exist on the score that the majority of Russians strongly disfavour the Separation of the Ukraine from Russia, If, In the pages of news-Papers, the discussion is purely academic, in private conversation it often bears a stormy character. The humorist Polishinel tells in' the Shanghai Zaria" of two old friends, an Ukrainian and a Russian, for many years working together on the Chinese Eastern Railway, who, under infuence of the present argument, into conflict that needed the intervention of the landlord of the boarding house where they had hitherto lived on the best of terms.
The order of the "Reformed" Government in Nanking that all Chinese Surists must register themselves in Nanking has excited Russian lawyers, whose corticates for the right of practice have been issued by the Kuofnintang government now in Chungking. Russian jurists point out that shotild they follow out the order of the Nanking government, they would Immediately "become " subject to penalty, as they still appear in local Chinese courts, up to now subordinfied to Chungking. An incident of this sort has already occurred, when fa' Chinese jurist decided, out of hhecessity, to have dealings' with the new. authorities and was severely punished by Chungking. It is further pointed out that although Russian migrés have always been loyal to the government in power and have meddled in Chinese polities, they nay be faced by an impossible situa-lon. As the "Reformed" Government not recognized by the Powers, the court will remain, presumably, under the Jurisdiction of Chungking. " Rus sian lawyers are divided. into two categories: men with Chinese pass ports who must in this problem Follow the lead. of their Chinese col-Teagwes, "and men who are of the opinion that the new order will not apply to" them, New registration, moreover, ly always accompanied by ravages on the pocket book.
"A requiem service has been held in-memory of Lieut-Gen. D. A Lebedev, who under Admiral A. V. Koltchak was in' command" of "the general headquarters. He was 0 young but energetic General who, in Sadition, occupied the post of Minister for War in Ue Omsk government. He played a prominent part in the underground oflcers" organizations that existed in St, Petersburg and Moscow in the years 1917 and_ 101 just after the outbreak of the Sovi Fevolution. Later he managed to get through to Gen. Denikin In the South fof Russia, and after that to Admiral Koltchak in Omsk. He continued to bbe active in Vladivostok, and in 1922 evacuated to Shanghai, where much work In emigration. fate General Lebedev died in Shang-hal, 10 years ago, but his memory is still fresh, expense.
"The squire Svistunov had a. serf, tone Cherepanov, who revealed marked talents in mechanics. The wealthiest men In the Ural region, the Princes Demidoy "Son Donato, heard of Cherepanov and purchased him, He was sent to England, and on return= Ing. to" Russia built) many water pumps in mines, His son, a promise Ing youth, was sise sent to England: but he, on his return, began-to build steamers and locotnotives, and various It was' under his the first locomotive ice in the Ur today Is also far fron poor in. these self-made men. Even the most informed sources do jot know the full number of ingenjus Russian Shanghailanders who, in the. last' 15 years, have invented methods of extracting silver {rom old films, centralized burglar alarms, photomatons" taking pictures on an
selt-lighting elgareltes, self-heating Ammmediate." mass-production basi tinned foods, or... but one could recount these' invenilons almost end-Tessly. Much among this was already invented many years ago, but-much note bore the niark of talent.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.