had the opening of its on Tuesday afternoon, 'A few alterations of numbers on the announced programme were! eeessary at the last minute owing to the indisposition of two singers whose names appeared on the programme, one of whom, Ars, Smith, was unable to a pear, and the other, Mr. C. Fletcher, having his place taken' by Mr, Nobbins, who very kindly consented to appear in several sons The programme comprised two selected piano numbers by Mr. were much enjoyed; songs by Miss E, Wheeler, whose charming contralto voice never £ai 16 be appreciated: and several Russian duct numbers by Mr. Mashin and Mr. N, Romaniuk, the latter being beautiful examples of Russian harmony. Mr, Romaniuk ing also a Ukrainian' song asa polo, The Dramatic Section he" Deailatie ' Section "of the B. W. A. initiated its season of:
The Chang Hsing was former-the Heungshan, which was} sunk in the Cunton river some two) years ngo. She was raised and] Durchased by a Chinese syndicate, and after lying at Hongkong for} some time subsequently was. resold] to the San Peh Steamship Ca. in July last year. Capt, Paus, Marino} Superintendent of the San Peby Steamship Ca. journeyed to Hong-ong to complete the transaction and the vessel eventually was towed to Shanghai. She then entered the San Peh Ship Engineering Works] and was rebuilt, 40 fect being added to her length. "The engines of the} old Heungshan, which had been renewed in 1918 still remain in re-built vessel. A. Sino-Ttalian Company known as the Societa di Navigazione Italo-Cinese purchased] the vessel and it is proposed to run her on the Hankow-Shanghai run. This shipping company has steamers running in the upper "Yangtsze reaches to Chungking and it intended to run the Chang Hsing in conjunction with these, through bills of lading to Chungking being avaiable here. The first trip will pro-ably take place within two or three weeks. The vessel's dimensions and capacity are as_follows:—Length: 340 fect, breadth 56 feet, Speed 17] knots. "Accommodation for foreign first class passengers: 60 staterooms! with two berths in each: Chinese first daes passengers: 11 staterooms [with two berths in each. Chinese second class passengers: 40 s'ateers. There is also accomodajon for 150 third class passengers. The vessel's registered tonnage is 2,100 tons. The cost of the rebuilding was Tls. 400,000 and the first class staterooms, saloon, reading Yom, smoke room are luxuriously fitted. All the public rooms are fitted with hard wood floors and the colour scheme ig white and gold with tapestry curtains, There is also spacious deer space. Capt. Grata has foe en appointed master of the Jand the chief engineer is Mr. C. Parel Present at the reception on Thurs-Jday were many local foreign and [Chinese shipping company officials, including Mr, Vu Ya-ching, managing director of the San Poh S.S. Ca.. Ltd, Mr. G. F. Righini, manager lot the Societa ai Navigazione Italo-(Chinese, Mr, E, Moller, and Mr. T. A. P, Clarke." After the guests had inspected the vessel, refreshments were torved in the spacious saloon and success to the venture was drunk amidst great enthusiasm. On Mfonday last the vessel was sent on rial trip to about six miles out of Woosung and the company officials] were exceeding blessed with the: result of the trials, them.
Tu a few months I shall have} lived @ total of a quarter of century in China. Nearly 15 years Jot that time has been spent in [Shanghai. The remainder has been lived in Hankow and north China.
Furthermore, I have served 14 years the volunteer fire brigades and) volunteer corps of three treaty] Ports, nine of which were served in Shanghai. I have given a long [voluntary service in helping maintain the peace and integrity, Jot Shanghai and other ports, giving lup, along with many others, much for my spare time and personal comfort patting out fires and patrolling streets, while Mr. Arthor de C. Sowerby has done nothing towards the same ends save write windy epistles from the safe vantage point of an office arm chair.
However, as much as Br. Sowerb endeavours to turn this discuss {nto a personal squabble, I have desire to quarrel with him in the press and thereby waste valeable time and space. I will say this much, nevertheless, thet when Mr. Sowerby suggests that I am trying "curry favour" with the Chinese, "betraying" my own people, he is easting a boomerang, not" an Hngult. Ihave nothing whatever to fain by adopting a tolerant—and impartial attitude in Sino-foreign relationships, whereas Me. Sowerby' has everything to gain in adopting] the attitude which he thinks wil gain him the greatest financial returns, Mr. Sowerby is very fond of calling people "betrayers." jealled the British Government the fame name, so T seem to be in good When Mr. Sowerby quotes me as) saying I cannot name. anyone to whom the definition poly, forgets his own specification "who amounts to anything T concede Mr. Sowerby nothing my understanding of the dis-Jagrecable factors in Sino-foreign relations, relatives of mine went through the Nanking "outrage" and T can find dozens of reasons for bitter recriminations, But "when these things are piled up, when all the nasty business is recounted again and again what good does do? Where does it get us? Are we any step closer to the goal of mutual goodwill? Do. intolerance land fruitless bickerings lead anywhere? Do they breed confdfence and respect?
If Mr. Sowerby thinks that all thi jo fuss will accomplish anying he is mistaken, eventual settlement of outstanding problems will not be determined by such cheap and ridiealous methods. Tu fact, if mean-spirited letter. writing and personal abuse could be shorn of its self-interest, it still} would have no effect other than to retard an understanding—and wnderstanding we must have—if we! foreigners are ever to live and work successfully with four hundred] millions of Chinese, Granted that Moscow tried to inflict Commanism upon China, ted that certain Communist. tinted groups talked big and wrote largely upon what they were going! {to do and would like to have done, granted that certain secret papers have divulged gigantic and far-[fung schemes to sovietize China, granted all this, what actually has been accomplished?
We have seen trade badly disrupted in the Yangtze Valley, but thave we seen tumbrile rolling along daily with their victims to guillo-[tines?" We have seen civil life in Hankow and Nanking badly disorganized, but have we witnessed programs, and wholesale slaughter, "Borodin and. Galen and, otkers have gone, hundreds of Communists it is painfully obvious that it' was more than opportune for certain classes of exploiting foreigners.
matter of fact, to paraphrase Voltaire, if there' had been no Bolshevist bogey it would have been necessary to invent oni Writers of the type of Mr. Sowerby have stopped at nothing in their} vain efforts to stem the tide of progress, in the benefits of which we all stand to share. Writers have hooped Jabuse on the Chinese, thereby lumping all decent and industrious Chi-Inese into the same close with admitted bandits and bandit-Tuchuns. They have insulted their Jown governments, they have abused the Jewish community as responsible in some way for Bolshevism. They have insulted distinguished visitors, who have tried to express some means of reaching a solution of our troubles, and in every way let thei irresponsible, bad-tempered, trouble making pronouncements stir up [animosity and intolerance when just the "opposite characteristics were I must reiterate that we are inevitably bound to the attainment of a working basis in our relations with all classes of Chinese, governing and labouring. We cannot "conquer" this We cannot rule them, we] leannot divide up this state, we ean-rot even agree on policies let alone [definite programs, Therefore, we are, or should be, [dedicated (0 the task of finding a workable solution of present diffeulties. There is no other choice, And if T read aright the statement of a member of the British Government} that the British in China must do something themselves to. give the government a lead, 1 have an idea that this is what he hints. consequently, to want this process put into operation in every] possible way; if to want a cessation insult and calumny; if to desire} quick return to normal business, political and social relations with Chinese; if to disagree with the prin. ciples of Mr. Sowerby and his iIk; if all this is a "betrayal," then I Jam content to be known "by that definition, and I sincerely hope that] there will be a great many more "betrayers" in the near future,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.