The SMC. Press Information Office on Friday issued the follow-
"The Volunteer Recruiting Com: mittee of the Shanghai Municipal Council, with the concurrence of the Chairman of Council, invited repre: sentatives of member firms. of the American and British Chambers of Commerce to a meeting held in the S.C. Gymnasium on'Friday evering to consider the question of reerulting additional personnel for the Shanghai Volunteer Corps, and more! especially recruits of American and British" nationality, "Mr. HE, Arnhold, Vice-Chairman of the ourell and Chairman of the Volun-eer Recruiting Committee, presided, There. were. also present on. the platform:—afe, Edwin S. Cunning. fam, American, Consul-General_ and Senior Consul; Sir John Brenan, EBM, ConsuL-General; Mr. A.D: Bell, 'Chairman -of the Municipal Council; Mr. ©. S. Franklin, Brig Gen. 'B. Macnaghten, "Messrs, PW. Massey, V. Meyer, J, Two: ood, and TG, Weall, members of the' Volunteer Recruiting Commit tee; Col, N- W, B. B. Thoms, Com. tendant of the Shanghat Volunteer Corps; and Mr, J. Re Jones, Score: tary to the Connell, The Chairman, having thanked the sei representatives for attending And thas indicating" their willing hess to assist. im the. task ofthe Committee, said that the Committee war originated as a result of a port made by the Commandant (Col, Thoms), to the Council, emphasising the weakens of the Valuer Carpe {is being a serious problem in reger to its firness to be employed should state of emergency arise," The Gommandait's report showed that there Was a shortage of some 800 ren, and that he Was particularly mncerned With the shortage in the British and American units, in which recruiting was not satistuctory.
An Insufficient Garrison Owing to the unique political status of Shanghai, the Settlement had in the past had to depend upon its own resources in defending and Protecting itself against the dangers which had from time to time arisen in times of etisis. Whereas the n troops in Shanghai and of maintaining garr sons here from time to time had been with a view to protecting foreign lives and property and to assisting the Volunteers and Muni-ipal Police in critical times, the fact remained that, with the recent drawal of a British Battalion, there were insufficient troops here to man the outside perimeter. It was, therefore, obvious that, should a sudden emergency arise, the Volunteers would have to participate the first line of defence and fi gap until such time as more troops ould reach Shanghai. For them to ble to do so, they must be an efficient body of' men, It would, therefore, not meet the situation to increase the Reserves with men who
amount of training before they could rauld necessarily require a certain be considered sufficiently efficient to take their position in the first line of defence.
The Commandant had prepared a table setting forth figures showing clearly the needs of the several units of the Corps, Col. Thoms was pre pared to reply to any questions, as also to furnish any-further informtion desired,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.