Consul-General, was responsible for the inauguration of the International Club at Nanking, a project which has been an unqualified success, and on their larger scale the promoters this idea in Shanghai should have no fear regarding the future of their institution. According to the ideas of the Promoters of the International lub it will be entirely nonpolitical and non-partisan, while equally non-official, and' in no circumstances. will its use be permitted for anything savouring of the sort. It may be remem-dered that when the syndicate now owning the property was formed, one of the purposes in mind was to preserve the magnificent ballroom for public functions, and the proposals for' the formation of the club would conserve this ballroom for such an object. Probably on not more than two nights a month would it be ible to patriotic and other societies, in view of the demands of members, but this would continue an amenity which Shanghai has enjoyed in the past and now sorely misses. That is only one point. With the complete cooperation among all nationalities which the promoters hope for, it should be possible to see the billiard rooms 'a centre of great activity, and when, is proposed, other are devoted to ' bridge, jongg and the like, the bilities of activity, the absolute essential of a real, 1i club, are not to be denied. This should easily be within the bounds of possibility. An interesting point is that at present it is suggested that the bedroom ites will be reserved for visitors. All these provisions, with the spacious grounds, which will not be used for sport, suggest an ideal club, doing full credit to the international character of the port of Shanghai.
Not the least important character of the scheme for the proposed International Club is to be found in the cooperative business element at present owning the Majestic property and which is promoting this very big and usefal idea. The syndicate owning the con-Siste of Mr. Li Ming, Mr. K.P. Chen, Sir "Robert Ho "Tung, Messrs. E. D. Sassoon & Ca., the International Investment Trust, ngtsze Finance Ca., the Realty Ca., and the Shang-Land Investment Go. An important feature of the action of these individuals and firms for the purpose of seeing this International Club established is that they are' prepared to offer the property to the club at a price actually lower than what has been put upon it on a completely independent valuation. Not only is there the hotel building, but twenty-three and a half' mow of extremely valuable land, and it is a tribute to those con" cerned that there should be such an offer. 'This is due to the fact that not only are the gentlemen' met tioned by name keen supporters of the project, but the officers of the incorporated companies included in the syndicate' are equally so. Not only have: they derived increasing benefit in their business during these past years from their more intimate cooperation with the leaders of Chinese finance and business here, but they re that more and more their interests are bound up in a social as well as a business way with their Chinese friends. They' realize equally that the interests of the rest of the foreign community are in a like position, and the further this spirit be promoted the more sati factory it will be for all concerned. While as stated, the Majestic Hotel grounds are not] large enough for the accom modation of any sport, it can readily be conceived ' that a sports club farther out in the country could be created as an offshoot in the future.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.