MajGen, Duncan's High Praise: Cheered by Regulars: Shantung Soldiers' Attempts to Enter Settlement Frustrated Saunpay, Mar, 12.
Shanghai new has seen the famous Coldstream Guards, and] there was'no disappointment, except that the battalion ull service khaki instead of the Reld-faced scarlet andthe imposing bear-skins, the men were seen at ttheir: best They were just as the Londoner "always has known his Donsted Guards and that is saying something which sends a_ thrill through any Briton, be he English, Scottish, Welsh or' Irish, for the Guards are the pride of all, 1 The Shorecoming With.so long a route. tobe covered, there were few who made the journey in the cold and -rain along dismal Broadway in order to see the battalion disembark, for there were many more comfortable tage points where they could: be cen marching past. However, several men from the engineering; firma and a few perfervid Cockney' aching for a reminder of London fand expecting something _reminis cant of Wellington Barracks parade found, invaded the Old Ningpo Wharf. In this they gained little, for the. Guards trooped ashore well sover an hour before the time for moving off and, with the minimum of formality, lined up in column of fours under the lee of the line of godowns.
Tt was bitterly cold, but apparent._ ly nothing on earth can make a Guardsman hunch his shoulders. their places, the men gaged in voluntary "P. 'T." to warm up a itt without 2 man who seemed fill the description of the Colonel's giant orderly, though scores were nem it. The little one's face was clouding, when the mother had an inspiration, "There he -is-" she said, when 2 mounted orderly' brought up'the rear of the column, riding: a magnificent blood chestnut and the youngster was happy as she waved to the big man and the big horse and shrilled:—"Hullo, Tiny!" to the great amusement' of the Near by, another Indy was heard to remark in a disappointed tone: "They are very fine, but I don't think they are so big." She had not noted how Khaki seems to reduce me and the fact that the men were! some distance away. Had she walk. ed along the ranks on the whart she would have thought differently.
The Saluting Base Just short of the Astor Houra Hotel, the word was passed along to tighten rifle "slings and. the colours were uncased. Going over! the bridge the men were called to attention and then one saw the real Guatds, Instinetively they. stiffen ed and approached the saluting has" {in the old atimired way, moving the densely packed crowd to loud burst of cheering.
Vice-Admiral Sir Reginald Tyrwhitt took the salute, being accompanied by Major-General Dumean. "As company followed com. any cheers rang out, and. there were by no means confined to the people of any nationality. In fact is doubtful whether any crowd hae attained 30 grent dimensions Shanghai as did this. Por at And sing! lustily, introducing:
yy, songs now to Shangitai, but the "Froth-Blowers' Anthem" was not in the repertoire. "Tipperary" was, to the extent of one verse, afte: which it was smothered with, "Oh, my, what a rotten song!"
Tu all this long wait, there was Just one incident to remind one of the Guards in London. The officers could not disassociate thomselver from the patrol which they affect when the men are at ease during} Aha chaning of he guard. Tu pars wey stepped briskly back and forth the whole time, The March Commences After n while the drums and fifes out, the one touch of colour!
whole battalion, and shortly afterwards the three bands came' on to parade—the Royal Marines, the Beds. & Herts. Regt. and the Border Regt—lining up in rear of sergeant and four Sikh troopers of the S. M. P, and the Guares drums and fifes. "Than the Adjutant simply signalled to the Dram-major, the battalion was called te attention and ut once set off on the Jong march.
The head of the column only had get to the end of Kungping Road, turning on to Broadway, when the shrill sound of the fifes was drowned by round after round of genuine British hurrahs and if one can fudge from the fervour of the cheering, and the answers from the Guards "(they then were marching at ease) the soldiers and the ship' company of the Kinfauns Cai must have got on remarkably wel together. At the corner there were gathered a group of the firemen and stewards from the ship and they gave each company a rousing farewell and then concentrated on particular individuals, On the other side was stationed a group of school-children, whose shrill welcome mingled with the deep-throated cheers of the dungaree-clad stokers.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.