The Danger of Forcing the Pace Too Fast in Shanghai An important address was livered on February 25 by H. BIN.
jul-General, Mr. J. F. Brenan, tiffin.given in his honour at the Union Club of China. There was a rood attendance of members.
In his speech, Mr, Brenan said:
It is very pleasant for me to be fence more a guest of the Union Club, where, thanks to your hospitality' and that of my friend, Mr. Chang, I spent many delightful hours when I was last in Shanghai four years ago. These have been four very eventful years, and great changes have taken place affecting all of us, You in Shanghai and I in south China have witnessed the occurrence of events of first rate political importance; some of them terrible in their immediate consequences, others inspiring and encouraging in the hope that this great people, $0 long torn by civil war, were making a gigantic effort to seek uriily under one party and government, It may be that the struggle is destined to continue for sometime and that you and we, the guests in your country, will con tinue to be swept by a whirlwind of elemental forces beyond the control of.more individuals. It may be fon the other hand, and this must'all sincerely hope, that the government at Nanking, which the Powers have recognized, will be left Inpeace long enough to devote their energies and the money of their nation'to those measures of progress and reform which we know they have in mind, see around me many of the prominent Chinese in Shanghai—Teaders of banking, industry commerce—ard I would like to take this opportunity of saying some thing to you which has been in my mind since I arrived, in fact of maling an appeal to you on behalf. of myself and my countrymen. in this port.
The chinese and British have Known'exeh other now for a good many years and the commercial and cultural velations developed duxing that time have been of great bene-Ait to-both peoples. We have many characteristics in common. The Chinese have always been great traders and have acquired n repute ation for honesty in their eommerci@Bprings. The British likewise AMBalways regarded their merchants as the backbone of their re and we also make it a mat-pride to keep our word and hoffour our bonds. Both people are Inclined to a certain arrogance, but, on the other hand, both are noted for common sense and for their willingness to settle difficulties by reaching a reasonable compromise.
As T have said, we have much in gammon, and what is more import ant we have no political aims that are antagonistic. That is expecially true of Shanghai, The Settlement, of course, is not entirely British, It is international, but, the British have a lnrge.share in it, and I can assure you that all any responsible British, authority desires in regard to the Settlement is what you you selves must want—that is to say that it shall continue to be wel governed so that it shall provide a place of security for the valuable interests and property which have been built up here cly you and by us, and that it shall be n safe base through which the great wealth of commerce can flow between China and the rest of the world.
'Thoke of us who have any vi for the future well know that course of time the control of this Settlement must pass more and more into' Chinese hands. In fact, you are aware, the Council have already engaged the services of Judge Feetham, to study jon and produce a scheme which it is hoped will prepare the way for.a change in this direction. But what we fear is that, owing to political clamour, the pace may be forced too fast for safety, and that brings me to what I particularly want to say.
'We would ask that you Chinese with a large stake in the prosperity of the: port will, in your own inferests' as: well as ours, use your influence to moderate the hotheads who want: too quick a change. Up now there has been a tendency for the! Chinese. propertied classes n the Settlement fo rely on Zoreign protection for the safety of their inerests."The time may come when
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.