BR TO CONSTANCE MALLESON, 18 OCT. 1920
BRACERS 19707. ALS. McMaster
Edited by S. Turcon. Reviewed by K. Blackwell

Shanghai.1
18 Oct. ’20

My Beloved

I have had a letter you sent here, and two brought me from Pekin2 — dear letters, one of them especially most wonderful. Thank you my Darling Love.

Since I landed here I have been absolutely overwhelmed: the Chinese have given me such a welcome as I never imagined — they hail me as the second Confucius, and invite me to tell them exactly what they are to do with their country. It is a terrible responsibility. They don’t want technical philosophy, they want practical advice, social reconstruction — It is that book3 they like and all know — it has been twice translated — They put my picture in all their newspapers, they give banquets, demand endless lectures and interviews, and keep me most fearfully busy.

It appears that they know my books on social questions better than I do myself — they are very up to date. My articles on Russia4 have already appeared in their papers. They are delightful people, very civilized, very witty, rather unpractical, like 18th century Frenchmen. I love them. It is going to be a wonderful time, but very strenuous — travelling round the country and pretending to be a sage. I have insisted on staying in Pekin till Xmas, to learn Chinese5 and get to know the problems of China: they seemed to think I must know by inspiration what they need. They need chiefly education and settled government, I think. At present they are governed by bandits, like Renaissance Italy.

Tomorrow I go for a few days’ rest to a place called the Western Lake, said to be the most beautiful scenery in China; then to Hu-Nan, up the Yiangtze, where there is to be an educational conference; then to Pekin. Chinese things are very beautiful, but most of Shanghai is quite European, just like New York, full of rich English and Americans. I long to get away from European things. They have quite accepted Dora Black6 tho’ we have made the position perfectly clear. — I am loving China even more than I expected, but I am overwhelmed by their attitude of respect. After a year of it I shall think I am a god! It will need England to cure me of swelled head. Must stop. All my love, my dear one.

B

• 1

  [document] Document 200708.

• 2

  a letter you sent here, and two brought me from Pekin Colette wrote six letters on the 14 August. One letter was supposed to await BR at each port of call between Marseilles and Shanghai. See BRACERS 113221 to 113229. There is another letter written on 10 October (BRACERS 116420), presumably to BR in Beiing. The discrepancy in the numbering is explained by the fact that BR spent almost a month in France waiting for his ship to sail and Colette wrote many letters to his Paris flat.

• 3

  that book Principles of Social Reconstruction (B&R A25, 1916).

• 4

  My articles on Russia “Impressions of Bolshevik Russia”, The Nation 27 (10, 17, 24, 32 July and 7 Aug. 1920) (B&R C20.17).

• 5

  to learn Chinese BR did not learn Chinese; it is not known when he gave up the attempt.

• 6

  Dora Black Dora Black (1894–1986). She and BR were married from 1921 until 1935. For further information on her, see BRACERS 19506, n.3.