Members of this Club assembled at the Hotel dos Colonies on Wednesday night to consider the draft rules submitted by the Committes, The President (Sir Havilland do Sausmarez) presided and there was a largo attendance of those interested.
Before the business of the evening was commenced, Mr. W. V. Drummond said he bad bean asked by the members to offer their sincere and warm congratula-tious to their President on receiving the honour of knighthood from H.M. the King. Sic Havilland had alrendy been congratulated in public on behalf of the British community, but as belonging national body, the members of Club were glad to have an opportunity of expressing their fooliogs also, The record of Sir Havilland' viees elsewhere lad boon read with torest in Shanghai, and it was recognised that the good work dono in other countries cause of his promotion to the very high and important post he vow During the short time Sir Havilland had been in Shanghai he had done a great deal of hard and very important work, in a manner which had won the admiration and respect of the whole community. (Applause.) The members of the Chess Club hoped to see their President very often in the Olub room, and many wore looking forward eagerly to a friendly struggle with him over the board at the very king of games, the game which was froe from all the gross and demoralising effects of luck or chance, and in which the better player for the' time being was ound to win. (Applause,) Individually many members wore hoping not only to meet their President over the board but some were daring enough to hope to obtain judgment against him. (Hear, hear, and laughter.)
Mr. Lemire anid that to emphasise the international character of the Club and the d all the members to ass themselves in this vote of congratulation to their President, he wished to support what Mr. Drummond had ssid. The members -were already proud to have such a distinguished member of the community as their head, and still more proud now that His Majesty King Edward had conferred thi motion upon him, which reflected. distinction in turn upon the Club. (Applaus The members rose and ga ing cheers and s tiger to acquiescence in what the said.
The President heartily thanked the members for the sympathetic way in which they had congratulated him. He had been ins good many parts of the world and it had been his good fortune. to mest ladies and gentlemen of many nationalities. That he regarded as an education which was not enjoyed by those who remained on their own side of the Channel, and he felt that he had derived from it no small advantage. As President of this Club he hoped to meet many of other nationalities and enlarge his acquaintance in that way. Mr. Drummond had suggested that many of the members expected to overcome him at the chess board and he had not the least doubt that there would be little difficulty in that, as he confessed it was many years since he hed played. He learnt it to an extent asa boy, but although he had practically forgotten it, he hoped to recall some of his knowles; with the assistance of members of the Club. (Hear hear.) It wasa game at which a member of the smallest nation could defeat the greatest (he was: not. speaking of his own), and the levelling influence properly exercised of a Club should be beneficial to any who had too much pride. (Laughter and applause.)
The meeting then settled down to the business of the rules, which proved a considerable task, but was eventually completed to general satisfaction.
With an announcement of the formal opening of the rooms to to-morrow and a vote of thanks to the Shanghai Olub for the temporary lon of boards and men, the meeting ended,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.