The annual meeting of the Shanghai Volunteer Corps was held on Tuesday evening in the Municipal Council Board Room." Major Brodie A. Clarke presided.
The Chairman said the total strength of the Corps on the 31st of December last was 271; at the last Inspection 277, and on the 3st of December, 1895, 330. To certain extent the decline was accounted for by D. Ca. having been disbanded, but there was a large deficiency which ought to be made up. It was a very poor show for a place like Shanghai where there were so many young men who could always find time for paper-hunting, rehearsals, cricket, tennis, etc. As he had said before, they never knew when trouble ight occur, and in many parts of the world they had seen volunteers being hastily organised. There would not be much notice given in case of danger, and it was therefore nonsense for people to say they would join if the occasion arose, for such members would be worse than useless, and 'a great many would not be able to look after themselves. In a place like Shanghai they ought to have ab least 500 infantry (hear, hear), and it was the duty of everyone in the Corps to do his beat to enlist recruits. Recently there had been a good many cases of rowdyism around the Settlement, and with the large body of rowdies now collected at Shanghai for plunder it could not be known at what hour they might be called out to defend those who were near and dear to them, He was often struck by the number of eligible members who could find time to watch the Volunteers at drill or at sham fights, and he could assure them they would look much better in uniform, and would be doing more good. During the last two or three months there had been some meetings of officers with regard to forming another infantry company, and the Machine Gunners had come forward with a' good deal of esprit de coups and volunteered to make themselves into infantry, asking at the same time that they might be allowed to retain the guns, At present the strength of the Machine Gunners was 23 or 25, but during the last few days they had recruited their strength up to nearly 35, and he felt sure that by the next Inspection they would turn out 40 or 50 strong. Major Clarke went on to urge present members of the Corps to increase its membership by speaking to their friends and pointing out its necessity and advantages. fe alluded also to the necessity of greater attention to discipline and paying proper regard to such matters as saluting officers when in uniform, all of which tended to make the Corps a smarter and more soldier-like body. The new Drill Hall would not be available this training, on account of the amount of building which had been going on in Shanghai which had delayed the signing of the contracts, but when it was completed he anticipated it would be of considerable service to the Corps, affording it & anent headquarters where drill and physical training would be always going on. For the forthcoming training a mat-shed was being built on the Soochow Creek foreshore, which would be preferable to the godown hitherto used, It was hoped that the new Range would be open within two or three months, and when it was in order the Rifle Meetings would be gone through in much shorter time than at present, and to the benefit of shooting.
Lieut. Miller enquired whether there was anything new in connection with the suggested cadet corps.
Chairman said there was no official information. He added that the draft programme ofthe training had been prepared, arranging for it to commence on the Ist of March end end on the 10th of April, In answer to Capt. Trueman, he said that it was hoped the temporary Dill. Shed would
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