Chamber of Commerce, I have pleasure in extending to Mr. Sidney the new British Consul-'Veneral at Shanghai, a hearty welcome.
This is the third time I have seen My. Barton. I fud in him always a frank and straightforward man-nev. Here in Shanghai, c0-operation is necessary. We have so many things in common that the interests of the people of one country involve those of the people of other countries, It is upon sincerity and ce-operation that the very lite of this International Settlement depends, Shanghai has been growing very vapidly aod immensely. We Chinese, as hosts, naturally own more interests than our guests here. Among the latter,' the British people possess che lion's share. We feel confident that with Mr. Barton here as Consul-General we can; rely upon having a solid friend in any unsettled © questions into which we may be drawn.
Mr. Barton has been in Peking for 12 years since he left Shanghai. He will, no doubt, find out that Shanghai is still breathing the same commercial atmosphere as before. Unlike Peking, it is growing independently of politics. This is the demarcation between these two places.
Mr. Barton knows Shanghai very well. Wa shall never fail to find in him a warm spirit of mutual understanding and ce-operation. The good and friendly relationship so far maintained between the British and Chinese merchants is, I am glad to say, hound to be fostered and to multiply as time goes on. This spells very well for his future career. in which I most sincerely! wish him every success—(applause).
Mr. Barton thanked Mr. Sung! for his remarks, and laid em-; phasis upon the point he had, made of the necessity for sincerity and ce-operation. In the presence! of those there was every reason to anticipate that their common in-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.