To facilitate fruitful conceptualization and research in business history among scholars throughout the world, the Review presents the second in a series of reports by our International Correspondents. These reports will supplement the American activities regularly recorded in our pages. It is our hope that comparative studies of common problems and the exchange of data and ideas will thus be encouraged.

The primary purpose of this essay is to review studies in Chinese and Japanese business history that have appeared during the last few decades, and above all to review those that are relevant to the articles in this special issue either directly or as an aid to understanding the general background. As far as the latter is concerned, works of economic rather than of business history need to be mentioned. Although these works exist in Chinese and Japanese as well as in western languages, in this article reference will be made only to works in western languages and, when unavoidable, to Japanese-language studies. There will also be comments on the articles forming this special issue.

In the manner of the Creole tradesmen of Louisiana, whose lagniappe to their patrons is legendary, the Editor offers a similar bonus to readers of the Review. Instead of trifling presents added to a purchase, however, our lagniappe will be notes and documents illustrative of the evolution of business enterprise.

In rejecting the traditional identification of the Suffolk System with Gresham's Law, this article uses economic theory to sharpen our perspective on historical business reality.

On the eve of the merger mania at the turn of the century, the reversal of the first two words in the name of the Shawmut National Bank made it the successor in a consolidation of ten national banks in Boston. Many of the characteristics of this consolidation are exceptions to common generalizations about corporations and control; mergers and motivations.

The role of the historian dealing with transportation is a curious one in that it has rarely, if ever, been defined. Part of the difficulty, perhaps, is inherent in the subject itself and in mankind's (not too broad a term) conception of it.