in Screw Vessel Destined for Service on the Yangtze Shanghai, Aug. 16, Kiangnan Dockyard was " gaily decorated with flags and bunting this afternoon on the occasion of the Iaunching of the first naval vessel under the Naionalist regime, a river gunboat named the Sienning.
The fact that General Chiang Kai-shek was to be present resulted in the gathering of a large crowd of spectators, which included many Ciinese leading officials, among whom were Admiral Li Ting-shun, ral Tu Hsi-kuei and Vice-
Chen and about 200
Chinese naval' officers. There were also many Chinese indies present with sprinkling of foreigners, mostly, American naval officers and their" wives, The smart white uniforms of the Chinese naval officers and seamen were a dominating feature Of the scene.
General Chiang Kai-shek arrived shortly after 2 p.m, and was ceived by naval eseott and a naval Band, He was wearing a tussore Chungshan suit, black shoes and socks and @ straw-boater.
At 215 General Chiang and 'Admival" Yang Shu-chuang, the 'Commander-in-Chief of the' tionalist Navy, proceeded to a pli form erected in front of the bows the gunboat, This platform was crowded with leading officials and their wives who applauded General Chiang as he came up the gangway.
The Launching After a short ceremony, which teoncluded with ceremonial bows towards Yat-son, the ceremony of christ ing. the vessel-was very successfully carried through by Madame Hsiung Shih-hui, the wife of a former Commander of the Shanghai district. The beribboned bottle of champagne was smashed on the bows just as the Sienning commenced to glide Gown the ways amid the loud cheers of the thousands gathered on the staging in the vicinity and perched on every point of vantage.
the gunboat took the water the Spving in the vicinity sounded tens, and strings of crackers fore exploded while a Nationalist plane circled round the seen 1 After a bouquet of roses ai valuable silver cup had been presented to Mudame slung asa Memento of the occasion, speeches were made by General Chiang Kai-hok, Admiral Yang. Shu-chuang, General Hsiung and others, General Chiang's remarks especially being rooted with loud cheers, Several camera and cinema men were very busy during the ceremony taking records of the scenes, their Victims standing the fire of cameras with the greatest aqua mity—Reuter,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.