American Books in the Pacific: A Series of Articles on Bookshops Selling American Books in Hawaii, the Philippines and the Orient – III – China by W. S. Hall

W. S. Hall, “American Books in the Pacific: A Series of Articles on Bookshops Selling American Books in Hawaii, the Philippines and the Orient – III – China,” vol. 127, no. 8, February 23, 1935, pp. 870-73. 

[photo]: The exterior of the Kelly & Walsh store in Shanghai, one of the two most important shops selling English books there

Next to London and Paris, I imagine more has been written about Shanghai than any other city. It can’t be helped. It’s a place like nowhere else. Even Bruno Lessing, rushing through on a Dollar Line boat, felt impelled recently to do a column or two about it in the Los Angeles Times. Attempting a pun on The Bund he called Shanghai “the bunk.” [footnote: Much to the annoyance of the Editor of the China Press, who dignified Lessing’s own “bunk” by a reply in a leading editorial] So much the worse for Mr. Lessing. I stayed here five weeks; I never got beneath the surface of Shanghai, but I’m sure it’s the most fascinating city in the world. I shouldn’t dream of adding to what has been written about the place and its night life by feature writers, headlong tourists, missionaries, etc. I’ll stick quietly to my little daylight notes about the more quiet havens – the bookshops.

            There are plenty of them, and they’re scattered all over town, but most of them sell Chinese books only; many of them are Russian, German, Portuguese, or any other of the twenty-eight resident nationalities. The shops handling books in English are few but they’re big, and they do a surprising amount of business with both residents and tourists. Shanghai has three definite sections – the International Settlement, the French Concession, and the Chinese City. The shops selling English books are in the International Settlement. The two most important ones, Kelly & Walsh, Ltd., and the American Book Shop (Chinese-American Publishing Co.), are both on Nanking Road near The Bund.

            Kelly & Walsh, Ltd., is a British concern, incorporated in Hongkong. The name is synonymous with bookselling in the Orient. In 1876, two bookshops, Kelly & Co., and F. & C. Walsh, joined hands and became Kelly & Walsh; address, 11 The Bund, next to the Hongkong-Shanghai Bank. The following year Mr. Kelly’s health failed; he retired from the firm, giving place to Thomas Brown. In the meantime a branch had been opened in Yokohama. One year later, 1878, another branch was opened in Hongkong, and shortly after that, one Mr. Walsh’s retirement, Brown became sole proprietor of all three stores. On July 1^st, 1885, “Ltd.” Was added to Kelly & Walsh, incorporating the shops, one of which, be it noted, was in British territory, one in China and one in Japan. Mr. Brown, from “proprietor” became sole “director.” He looked about for another fertile field and found it in Singapore, 1886. Ten years later he returned to London to take charge of the company’s interests from that point. In September, 1918, the property at 22 Nanking was purchased and on Armistice Day, 1919, the doors of a handsome shop were opened. That is where Kelly & Walsh is now. It is as attractive a bookshop as I know, and as well ordered and as busy a one.

            The entire staff is British, as one discovers shortly after entering the place. The “Thank you” is unmistakable. Nevertheless, an American tourist came in one day, looked one of the blond Anglo-Saxon assistants straight in the eye, and asked, “Do you speak English here?” At first glance most of the books seem to be British, too. Happily this is not so, and still more happily, it’s steadily becoming less true. A cursory glance reveals a generous sprinkling of American titles, some even of English origin! And a further walk around discovers stacks and stacks of American dollar books and the Modern Library assorted in extensor. These are priced $3.25 Mex. (The Mexican silver dollar, Shanghai’s currency, is worth about a third of our dollar which is still curiously referred to as “gold”). These and other reprints that enjoy quick sales are imported in freight shipments to keep down the cost. (Publishers please note – for every so often an American shipping clerk, thinking of something else, joyously despatches a huge shipment by mail; then follows a lot of correspondence, etc., etc.)

            The English are smarter than we are. I’ll qualify that and add “when it comes to export business.” They know they have to come down on price to compete with other countries. And so they, the London publishers, have a Colonial Edition of their fiction, so priced that Kelly & Walsh sell the books for $4.25 Mex. We’re attempting to compete with that, but either through lack of imagination or vision, or because we’re fully satisfied with domestic sales, the matter is not considered as of much importance. How important it is and what a difference it makes – the difference between five copies of a title and one hundred, for instance – only the shops in the Orient and Snyder and I know. And when I pay less in Shanghai, in U. S. money figures, for American tooth-paste, rubber heels, Chesterfield cigarettes, and Bromo Seltzer than I do in New York, I realize how far we have to go to reap the full benefit of the demand for American books in foreign countries.

            But I don't want to get away from 22 Nanking Road. A. E. Glover, with the firm since 1909, is now managing director. Second in command is A. J. Waller, also a directory of the Company. A third director is J. H. Searle, in charge of the printing office – and there’s another story. For if Kelly & Walsh are famous throughout the Orient as sellers of books, I think they must be equally well known as printers and publishers of them. Their spring, 1934, list of recent titles rune to thirty-nine books, and

[photo]: The interior of Kelly & Walsh in Shanghai is attractive and well-ordered

[photo]: Kelly & Walsh have a branch in Hongkong where they sell many books to ships’ passengers. This is the interior.

they’re all about China. Two titles, just off the press last spring when I examined them with the sceptical eye of an ex-book-collector and Rudge alumnus, are “Tombs of Old Lo-yang,” by W. C. White, and “A Primer in the Writing of Chinese Characters,” by D. D. Barrett (Cpat. 15^th Inf., U. S. Army). “The Tombs” sells for $35 Mex. In an edition of 370 copies. The other is $3.50 Mex., and Mr. Searle will print as many as those who’d like to attempt the subject may demand. (I’ve dipped into it, and the Captain makes it sound so easy!) Both works are perfect gems so far as printing is concerned, the latter title seeming especially so to me, with its constant sprinkling of Chinese characters. There is one improvement which could be made in the books printed in Shanghai; at least in those I’ve seen. The title-page.

            The printing plant is on Ferry Road, International Settlement. Most of the force is Chinese, and in spite of the millions words they’ve set up, by hand, monotype and linotype, they couldn’t read a line of English to save their lives. They just follow copy – but they follow it.

            All sorts of things have happened in China and in Shanghai since John McGrath Kelly talked matters over with the Messrs. Walsh. But today – nice and quiet. Business is good, and as for the depression which evil friends led me to believe was “worldwide,” Shanghai never heard about it except from the tourists. Kelly & Walsh is prospering in Shanghai as I could see with my own eyes. Also in Singapore, where Mr. Davis will soon move his store to new quarters. And in Hongkong, where Mr. Abbott keeps the Colony supplied with books of all publishers, British and American.

            Hongkong is one of our regular stops – we, Harry Snyder and I, make it twice, in fact on the way to Manila and on the way back to Shanghai. The initial visit serves to prepare Mr. Abbott for our main assault. He receives us well prepared. He likes American books, he likes us, if I may be permitted to judge by his welcome, but he remains an Englishman. And it is well to remember that Hong Kong is not “Hongkong, China.” That’s wrong and annoys the post office and possibly the British Foreign Office. Just “Hongkong” is sufficient. Just as much a part of the British Empire as Piccadilly Circus.

            The shop is in the York Building on Chater Road. It’s a stone’s throw from the Hongkong Hotel in whose lobby many tourists, sipping gin-slings, “see” China. These are not the book buyers. Nevertheless, Abbott does considerable business with ships’ passengers, nicely supplementing his solid British resident trade. His shop is smaller than the Shanghai parent, but has a distinct Kelly & Walsh look. I confess I spent most of my time while there looking through the refreshing display of English magazines – The Sketch, Punch, Tatler, The Strand, etc., etc. As for the books, Abbott has practically the same showing as Shanghai.

            The Yokohama Branch was entirely destroyed in the earthquake of 1923. No, not entirely – a thermometer advertising “Stephens Ink” remained upright and unscathed on its granite block, with all else levelled to the ground. The Branch was not re-opened. But one can’t be sure just what will happen next. Last time I was in the shop I discovered Mr. Glover closely examining a map!