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Chinese and Japanese, although they are unrelated languages, nevertheless have similar writing systems, since Japanese writing employs a mixed system of Chinese characters and phonetic script. Because Chinese characters are difficult to learn, however, reform movements to simplify the writing system to make the task of learning easier for a broader population have been introduced in both China and Japan. These reforms have fallen into three categories: the selection of a basic list of characters, the simplification of the more complex characters, and the substitution of Romanization or other phonetic systems for the characters. This study discusses the nature of Chinese written characters, considers the function of Chinese characters in Japanese writing, and then explores what China and Japan have done in the three areas of writing reform. The investigation reveals that the Japanese are using increasingly fewer Chinese characters. Because there is no coordination of writing reforms between the two countries, the writer forsees that "if and when one or the other country goes over entirely into alphabetical writing, then the centuries-old cultural link in characters between the Chinese and the Japanese will be forever severed." (FWB)

Carbon-13 chemical shifts of sixteen monosubstituted ethylenes were obtained. In order to explain the chemical shifts, σ and π electron densities of these compounds are calculated by the σ-included ω-HMO method.1 A linear relationship exists between carbon-13 chemical shifts and the calculated electron densities, and also between substituent constants and electron densities. A slope of unity is obtained between the chemical shifts of α carbons of monosubstituted ethylenes and those of carbons adjacent to the substituents in monosubstituted benzenes. On the other hand, a plot of chemical shifts of Cortho of benzene derivatives against that of the β carbon in ethylene derivatives gives a slope of 3. These slopes can be explained by the calculated electron densities. A slope of 4/3 is obtained between the direct coupling constant 1J(CH) of the α carbon in monosubstituted ethylenes and that in the corresponding substituted methanes.