1933

SHANGHAI
563
The takmg over of Manchuria by the Japanese in September 1931 led to a bcycott
•culininating in the Sino-Japanese hostilities round Shanghai at ’the beginning of this
year. During the boycott British goods headed the [list of imports, but shortly after¬
wards the Japanese were again overtaking her.
Population
The Foreign population increased rapidly up to 1866, but declined considerably
during the next ten years. 'Thb1 oerisus pf ;i865 gave' the number of foreign residents
in the three Settlements as 2,757, anhy and navy (British) 1,851, shipping 981, a total
of 5,689. In 1870, the total in the Anglo-American Settlement was 1,666; in 1876,1,673 ;
in 1880, 2,197; in 1885, 3,673; in 1890; 3,821; in 1895, 4,684; in 1900, 7,396; in 1905,
11,497. By the census of 15th October, 19.10, jthere were in both Settlements a total
of 15,Ol^'foreigners; , li356 in . the British .$eftlement (now called Central District),
8,658 in Hongkew (now Northern and pastern Districts), 3,522 in Western Dis¬
trict, Outside Hoads and Poofung; and 1,476 in the French Settlement—an, increase
of 21,74 per cent, during;the letter five,years, against 45 per cent, during the previous
five. When the census was taken, in October, 1915, the number of foreigners in
the two Settlements had grown to 20,921 18,519 in the International Settlement
and 2,405 in the French Settlement. According to: the census taken on October
16th, 1026 (exclusive, of tbe French Settlement and.the outside roads under the control
of the, French Consul),, the foreign population. numbered 23,307, compared with
18,519 in 1915 and 13,536 in 1910. The proportion of the principal nationalities repre¬
sented was as follows, the figures at the time of the 1915 census being given within
parenthesis;—Japanese 1.0,215 (7,169) ; British, 5,341 (4,822); American, 2,264 (1,30,7);
Portuguese, 1,301 (1,323); Russian, 1,266 (361): French, 316 (244); German, 280 (1,155);
Spanish, 186 (181); Danish, 175 (145); Italian, 171 (114); Indians, 954 (1,009). This showed
that the Japanese had trebled in number since 1910. The last official census of the
foreign settlements was taken in 1925, when the returns showed 29,947 foreigners and
810,279 Chinese as resident in the districts under the control of the International
Cbuncil.
This figure is exclusive of the French Settlement the population of which is given at
7,811 foreigners and 289,261 Chinese. It is interesting to note that the foreign popula¬
tion of the “French” Concession included 3,463 British and Americans, as against 893
French. According to the census report compiled by the Municipal Bureau of Public.
Safety, the total population of Greater Shanghai in December 1930, with the Interna¬
tional Settlement and the French Concession, was 3,18*3,567, including 59,355 foreigners.
Of the total population, 1,007,868 are residing in the International Settlement, 434,807
in the French Concession, and 1,740,892 in the native city and its surrounding suburbs.
Although the Chinese have no right of residence within the Foreign Settement,
and indeed were not recognised by the original Land Regulations, some twenty
thousand sought refuge within the boundaries from the rebels in 1854, and when the
city was besieged by the Taipings in 1860 there were, it is said, at least five hundred
thousand natives within the Settlements. In 1920 there were in the three Settlements
930,068. The Chinese population working in the Settlements, however, must be much
greater than the total given, as there are many more thousands who sleep outside
the limits.
Climate
The climate of Shanghai is generally allowed to be fairly healthy. The highest
recorded number of deaths from cholera among foreigners was 32 in 1890. Of these,
11 were amongst residents. With the exception of the year 1912, when there were 14
cases, the average number of cases amongst foreigners has been slightly over three per
annum during the last twenty years. The average number of deaths of foreign
residents from small-pox during the last twenty years has been 15 per annum.
Amongst the foreign population the general death rate was 15.4 per thousand in 1915,
14 in 1916; 20.7 in 1917, 16.5 in 1918 (including Japanese), 20.6 in 1919, 15.2 in 1920,
18.2 in 1921, 19.3 in 1922 and 17.2 in 1923. These rates compare favourably with those
of many large towns in Europe and America. The thermometer ranges from 25 deg.
to 103 deg. F., the mean of ten years having lieen 59T9 deg., the average being 41T3_,
64-99, 77’91 and 52.49 for first, second, third and fourth quarters, respectively. Shanghai
approaches nearest to Rome in mean temperature, while the winter temperatures of
London and Shanghai are almost identical. In October and November there is
generally dry, clear, and delightful weather, ecjual to that found in any part of
the world; but when the winter has fairly set in the north-east winds are