THE AUTOMATIC AGE
Vol. 2
.
CHICAGO, MAY, 1927
No. 10
SEEBURG MAKES REPORT O N T R A D E
C O N D ITIO N S IN C H IN A
Theaters Doing More Business Than Ever; Chinese Insist on Being Amused
and Want the Best in Amusement Programs and Will Pay For It.
Echos from far off Shanghai, Chi
na, come in the form of a report re
ceived by THE SEEBURG Company
f^om their agency there. While con
ditions in China are quite unstable,
yet the so-called “ white natives” of
China who have lived there for some
time are more or less accustomed to
these scares, and have learned to
take them philosophically. He states
that this is merely another chapter in
the history of China. For the last
two thousand years there has been
constant Civil War and strife be
tween the
various municipalities
lacking that national- consciousness
^hich is so necessary to a well bal
anced government.
In spite of the spasmodic upheav
als, trade still goes on, lessening of
course in some parts of the countoy
(according to the position of the
jarrin g factions,) until the martial
disturbances shift to other quarters
^hen a revival of trade results in the
Peaceful section.
, This uncertainty is continually felt
ln the inland districts, but the treaty
Pores through which all merchandise
must pass will always have a large
Population which can be. depended
'jPon to remain no matter what con
ditions prevail. They know too well
£he same as the Chinese— and per
haps this is an important point worth
considering— that it is only necessary
kill one or two persons in order
© International Arcade Museum
to excite protection from the various
outside governments for their na
tional subjects. The Boxer troubles
are still uppermost in their minds,
so under these circumstances they
feel reasonably safe.
The theatres are doing more busi
ness than they ever did, and is al
most a reminder that “ Nero played
the fiddle while Rome burned.” Peo
ple, will be amused regardless o f con
ditions, and of course the large num
bers of foreign sailors and marines
pouring in from all parts of the uni
verse form a spending population
anxious to while away their off-time
in viewing a movie or play.
There are no houses for sale—in
fact hard to find one for rent. New
houses and stores, as well as large
buildings are going up, with not a
chance to secure store space unless
a premium is paid. The cafes are
filled nightly with great crowds, and
judging from these facts it does not
seem that the business men will care
to evacuate.
Most of the foreign merchants
hold out for great possibilities in
China, a*nd have a sincere faith in
the future of that country, which is
almost unusual. It might be com
mented upon that it might be thought
that in China very little would be
necessary to satisfy the tastes o f the
public. Some of the theatres have
labored under this assumption, and
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