After the loyal toasts had been proposed Mr, Fessenden made the presentation to General Dunea sayin T have been highly honoured by the invitation of the sponsors of this dinner to take the chair to-night and to propose a toast to our tinguished guest General Duncan, This gathering of $0 large a number of gentlemen of different nationalities is the result of a happy inspiration on the part of a few of General Duncan's friends who have felt that many members of our international community who may not have had the honour and pleasure of & personal acquaintance with, General Duncan would none the less welcome this opportunity of showing their appreciation of what he has done for Shanghai and of wishing him Bon voyage upon his departure for England, The enthusiastic response with which this suggestion has been received is abundantly manifest by your presence here to-night in numbers rarely if ever equalled upon similar occasions.
You are all more or less familiar with the developments which resulted in the despatch of a British Defence Force to Shanghai, and you, of all people, can best. appreciate whut its esting meant not only to the foreign residents of this city But also to many residing in other paris of China for whom under the protection of the British and other forces Shanghai became a sanctuary and place of refuge. standing qualities about Shangh: men and women, and the first of these was hospitality and the second enterprise. He wished to thank the people of Shanghai-for what they had done for the troops under his command, the recreation and entertainment and the recreation centres they had established. He ished to thank those in particular' who had served personally during, often, severe weather, and in thi connection he referred particularly' to the ladies. He wished specially to thank the Shanghai Race Club, with an especial mention of Mr. Burkill, for their great generosity towards the troops.
Referring to enterprise, General Dancan said that it had been a re-volation to him and to all his officers. Shanghai was unique, and there was nothing like it in the id. "Tt had been created daring the last 50 or 60 years through che enterprise of foreigners. Last year the foreign community of Shan; Lar felt that the civil war reglue in Oh'na might submerge Shanz Hai. The British Government were of the same opinion, and their forces were sent here at short notice. The object of these forces was purely protective; they were not sent to Shanghai for any aggressive purpose, nor had they. hoon used for any aggressive pur-jose, and as during year the danger to Shanghai had diminished, he hed been able to recommend to the government a reduction in the forces.
He had endeavoured to establish friendly relations with the Chinese,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.