May 6.
Att, who were present yesterday at the laying of the foundation stone of the Hongkong Shanghai Bank's new premises will, we think, agree that the ceremony Was in every Way worthy of the occasion. The general arrangements were admire ably planned and carried out; the actual placing of the stone and the declaration by Sir Beilby Alston that it was well and truly laid was singularly impressive and the speeches were of a quality such as can hardly have been -exceeded on any similar occasion. They were simple, terse and con-' vincing and both in thought and expression reflected credit on Britain's leading representatives in tthe Far East to-day. The occa-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.