SHANGHAI AND ITS ENVIRONS

Hokitika Guardian, 26 March 1927, Page 4

SHANGHAI AND ITS ENVIRONS

(By Professor Griffith Taylor in the “Sydney Herald.” The reasons which determine the growth of a large city form a very interesting study in modern geography. Shanghai has a population exceeding two millions (including 33,0{)0 foreigners), so that it- is a rival with Osaka for the proud position ol the greatest city on the shores ol the Pacific. It is the second port in the world, and in one respect is unrivalled ; It is the largest town in the most closely-populated portion of the earth s surface, being the chief place of entry and chief market for 200 million people, i.c., half the population of China. About the time of William the Conqueror the Chinese annals record a small town whose name (Shaug-hai) has been translated as “On the ScL.” This suggests that the alluvial plain which now extends for some 10 miles east of Shanghai is largely the growth of the last nine centuries. AVo know that the large island of Clung A! mg. 40 miles long lias been entirely built up by the Yangtsekiang within the last few hundred years. Right through the .Middle Ages, Shanghai was a small fishing town (Intended by a ciri uur wall against the Japanese pirates. Outside the walls was a Hat swampy plain, practically at sea-level, which was quite deserted until 1842. Now a city with twice the population of Sydney" his grown up in this unattractive environment.

We are told that in the Chinese war of 1841 the citizens of Shanghai purchased protection from the attacks of Admiral Parker by payment of a ransom of £145,000. Next yei.tr Shanghai was declared a Treaty port, and tbo Consul recommended that the British settlement bo establishel between Spoehow Creek and the ancient Chinese city. In 1849 tne Trench acquired the ground shown in a diagmin immediately south ol the British settlement. In ISG2 the Americans rented land north of Sooehow ( reek, but next year the British and Americans amalgamated their holdings to form the Tntornationvd Settlement. AYith later additions this is a long strip, whsc east and west limits arc now about seven miles apart. There are thus four municipalities in Shanghai—the French, the International, .and the Chinese quarters of Chapel (north of the creek), and Nantao (the old Chinese city.)

THE INTERNATIONAL SETTLFAIENT. In the International Settlement government is entrusted to the municipal council of nine members. These are elected by the geneivd body of foreign ratepayers irrespective of nationality. The council supervises police, roads, markets, buildings, etc. As a result of the activities ot this purely foreign body Shanghai is one of the most attractive cities in the Orient. Ihe French have a somewhat similar government. save that the French ConsulGeneral is given very full powers in the council. Some brief mention must he made of the judicial functions in Shanghai. There is a mysterious word, “extrality” always to the lore in Chinese newspapers. This is a very sensible contraction for til.it large mouthful “extraterritoriality.” By this is meant that all foreigners, subjects of any treaty power, are exempted from the jurisdiction of the Chinese authorities, and aro judged only by their own officials. While this was perhaps a reasonable method in the early days of foreign settlement, it is obvious that the privileges must cease in China before long-—as they have vanished in Turkey and elsewhere. But it is by no menus easy to believe ill the equity of Chinese courts of justice, especially while the Republic is in such a state of chans.

The reader is supposed to be looking to the north, where some dozen miles from the eitv he can ses the estuary of the Yang-tse River, partially blocked by Cluing Afing Island. Ihe silts brought- down by this immense river keep the main stream shallow; and the tributary river, the Whangpoo, is better suited for large ships. Hence the chief port of China is not on the great river, but on an insignificant tributary flowing into its mouth front the south. AYlien the writer left Shanghai last December in a boat of some 10,00(1 tons, we bad hardly passed Woo-sung when the vessel grounded oil the river mud, land wo were held up for six hours. A larger I*, and (). boat passed us just after our grounding and steamed triumphantly south only to stick fast in her turn about one mile away. So that navigation at the mouth of the A’ang-tse is full of troubles even in those (lavs of progress. THE APPROACH TO THE CITY.

If we steam up ilio AA'hang-poo we see absolutely level swampy plains as far as the eye can reach. After some bends ltove been negotiated the buildings of Shanghai! College appear on the west hank, some seven miles from the city. Factories now flank both sides of the river. Huge gas and electric plants appear in the settlement, while the suburb of Rootling on the ensl bank lias many* engineering works, shipbuilding yards, and cotton mills. The Japanese quarter is passed next in what for a brief time was the American concession, and then the city proper is reached nc.ir Soochow Creek. Many fine bridges cross this famous hut inconsiderable creek. Far to the west it connects with the Grand Canal. It is always a congested mass of sampans and boats of every description, which are carrying goods to the godowns (stores), along both hanks of the creek. On its northern shore is the fine building of the General Post Office. A little to the north against (just outside the settlement) is the railway station on the Nanking railway*. The linlirt of flic city is the earliest British concession, which originally only comprised a few streets parallel to the Bund. The latter is a magnificent esplande .stretching along the AA'hangpoo river for about one mile. There is no street in Sydney or Melbourne with such fine buildings as flank the Bund. Here are bunks, such as the splendid Honkkong and Shanghai Building, fine newspaper offices, such as the “North China Daily* News.” and many clubs, of which the most important is the well-known Shanghai Club. f.A I POSING STREETS.

j Many fine streets run parallel to the I Bund, each named after a province. So we cross, as we go to the west, Szechuan, Kiangse. Honan. Sl4ui.se, j Tibet and other similarly named roads. At right angles to these are the “town" roads. Or these, the most famous is Nanking rofcd. which leads to the racecourse (one mile west), and then becomes Bubbling AA'ell road. The old well (bubbling with marshgas), is a little west of the racecourse. Near the racecourse is a police station, and it was here that the riot occurred (on May 30 of last year.) which started the recent hostilities against the British in China. Nearby also are the towering spires of three huge magazine stores. Those are ns big as any in Australia, and are run on somewhat similar line, but entirely by Chinese. The west of the concessions (both International and French) is largely given over to the dwellings of wcdltliy citizens. In former days, these were mainly- British. American and French, but nowadays these are being crowded out by large numbers of extremely wealthy Chinese, who realise the advantages of living under the protection of the warships in the AVMingpon alongside. As for the Chinese City, its walls were pulled down some ten years ago to make room for roads; but otherwise it seemed to the writer as congested, squalid and medieval as any* other Chinese city. The presence of a beautiful hygienic modern city*