The first of the comparative price lists of food and domestic commodities has been published by this journal. It represents part of the effort of the local municipal authorities to reduce prices by illustrating the cheapest and best markets although it should not be inferred that quality suffers. An examination of the list shows that, generally, prices are cheaper in Hongkew than in the Western district of Shanghai or the French Concession. This is not true in all cases but the Hongkew prices follow the traditional trend and show that the thrifty housewife can do most of her shopping better in Hongkew within limits imposed by residential propinquity. That is one of the greatest obstacles to thrifty shopping in Shanghai, When the difficulties and expense of transport have to be taken into consideration Hongkew prices may by higher than local neighbourhood shopping to say nothing of the question of convenience. If the full benefit of an effort to standardize prices is to be enjoyed the dependlency on transportation must be taken into account and this, irrespective of other reasons, ought to strengthen the case for the resumption of normal public communications with Hongkew and the other areas north of the creek. This is probably only a matter of time as great progress has been made in normalizing conditions over the creek but it represents a barrier. Otherwise, the new comparative lists should prove a boon to the housewife for she knows approximately what to pay in any specified districts and will enjoy the advantage of the when she takes out her market Today fifty one years ago a major catastrophe befell Europe, for on April 20, 1889, Adolf Hitler was born. Throughout Germany, and wherever loyal Nazis are gathered together, there will be an enthusiastic observance of the day, but in large areas of Europe, in Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Denmark and Norway there will be nothing but execration for the man whose ruthlessness has caused so much suffering and promises to cause still more. It must be remembered that during the negotiations prior to the outbreak of war Herr Hiler told his hearers that he was then fifty years of age and preferred to fight now rather than wait until he was fifty-five, and if ever there were a significant expression of the man's will to fight it was surely that. This will be the first birthday he celebrates under war conditions of his own fashioning. His accomplices as well as his dupes. that, as he himself called it, "sheep headed" nation, will misguidedly rejoice that their Fuehrer has lived another twelve months of life. They do not realize now, and may not do for some time to come the hideous plight in which he has criminally plunged them, nor the wild gamble which he has undertaken for the purpose of satisfying his megalomaniac ambitions. That realization will come sometime in the future when ill-clad, under-nourished people, already suffering considerably under the precious Nazi balms of peacetime, are called upon still further to tighten belts already drawn in by the determination of their leaders to sacrifice butter for guns, to transform much needed foodstuffs into explosives and munitions of war. It will be a bitter awakening for the Germans when they begin to understand all the suffering inflicted upon their generation by a man whose perfidies are without parallel in the long list of perfidious men the world has known. They may for the time being celebrate his birthday. There will be many millions who will regard the day as an evil anniversary, and, instead of wishing him the usual good wish, will hope that by the time his next birthday comes round he wil) observe it in the disgrace of defeat.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.