IN SHANGHAI

Hokitika Guardian, 18 February 1932, Page 7

IN SHANGHAI

The complexity of life in it citiy whore different nations live in different settlements. where various nationals are tried by their own courts, in which of riots ■and bloodshed it has been truly said that familiarity breeds contempt, is described by Miss M. Benner, now livng with her family in Auckland, whe lived in Shanghai for some years. She could well understand the interest which the great nations were taking in the Shanghai development of the Japan-ese-Chine.se question. Of the area of a city said tto >be the fifth largest in the •world, the international settlement occupied two-thirds. Moreover, won as it was from (the mud fiats at the mouth of the Wangpoo river by the labour and enterprise of foreigners alone, it represented an enormous outlay ol foreign capital. Even as late, as 1915. when .MTss Benner’s family went to the city, reclamation work was being carried out.

A GUARDED SETTLEMENT,

Miss "Bonner said that the Chinese area surrounded the Settlement and the Concession, and included a considerable poxtion of the eastern or right bank of the Whangpoo river—which runs through the city—known as Pootung, while the Settlement and the Concession were confined to the western or other bank. Each area was clearly defined; not- merely by' telie type of buitdings, construction and city lay-out, but also by barricades. In time of trouble these were erected not only between the Settlement and the native area, but also between the Settlement and the Concession. Xo one was allowed to pass from the native quarter into the Settlement without a pass, fos if they did get into the Chinese area, ,;hey would -not be allowed back again. There were policemen always on guard at tlie gates between the two areas.

chtxf.se quarter

While the foreign parts of i,he city were just like other great cities, with line buildings, wide streets and atl the other evidences of a civilisation ooth modern and advanced, the native in o i was still as it had been before evi r the West made a nodding acquainttance with ihe East. The streets were haphazard, aimless alleys, and the houses, so called, 'aero hovels of mud and striw. Most ol the wealthy 'Chinese lived in the European area, and employed bodyguards of Russians. TVs they did as a safeguard against abduction by the brigands.

if anyone chose to live in the Erench Concession, they had to abide by the Erench laws, .Miss Renner said. They were (tried before French courts as Frenchmen.