When the war came, all these men volunteered for service and over 10 per cent. of them went Home in. 3914, In the first days of the wu there was a meeting of the Sparrows! Club and other friends held certain house in We Road for! the purpose of deciding in what way these mon could best offer their ser-
Views. At that time the idea was to end home a Shanghai contingent completely equipped in all. respects cly Shanghai. 1 remember one: enthusiast suggesting that it should be a cavalry unit mounted on China ponies. This meeting was followed by a large meeting at the Palace Hotel which many. of you will gubt remember and which resulter believe, in the Suwa Mara eon Ringont joing home with 'Hikton-Johnson. Well, after the many of these oh friends came back to Shanghai and decided to revive the Sparrows' Club under the name of the Zero to be composed entirely' of personal friends who had seen. war service, That, gentlemen, where we stand to-day.
This is the age of slogans. A man told me the other day that every organization und even every city ought to have a slogan. I suggest that an appropriate slogan for the] Zero Club would be "loyalty." Loyalty to King and country, loyalty to each other, and loyalty to the adtrators of this Settlement in the difficult task, The Evening's Guests Admiral Waistell tells me that he has not been in Shanghai for 2 years. He has, however, probably road ov hoard about Shanghai, as have been rather in the limelight recently. He may have been told that we are all very wicked peop! Dut if there were no bad people the would he no good lawyers. He may' have heard of Pussyfoot Johnson's visit. Pussyfoot saw Shanghai and fled from the unequal contest, wept, unhonoured and unsung. Admiral Waistell may have read of the bids made for the Electri Department, but L venture to say! that these bids would never have: een received but for the presence fon the Whangpoo of H.MLS. Kent or her equivalent and the presence of the Defence Fore: (Applause).
Mr, Sparke then mentioned that of all the friends they had made none yas held in higher affection in Shanghai than General Wardrop. With General Wardrop here they could sleep safely at night, and his Jove of sport and fair play had endeared him to every man, woman and child in Shanghai.
This gathering, continued Mr. Sparke, is supposed to be all British, States have dene Sor Qica" Well Eenilemen, sou may not quite agree With thit, but had she said. "ook What one man from the States has done so much to preserve for China," how beastily we would agree, course that man is the Lord Mayor (applause).
Ju conclusion, 2 think we can define, the nims of the Zero. Club to be "never to forget the dead, al-Ways stand by the living.
A Glance into the Future In reply Admiral Waistell sai that he had received " great dear hospitality in Shanghai, nut to be the guest of the Zero Club had given him the groutest pleasure of al could be no greater lucent club than to foster that spirit sympathy and good fellowship whic' had existed during the war." When he visited Shanghai 34 years one there was no Zero Club, and wher tone cast 01 mind forward to the next 3 years, he supposed that there would not be so many members of the Zero Club, But he hoped that, however many the would still ask the Chi to dinner. He supposed the time would come when there would only. be one member alive: he would probably the treasurer, the secretary and always yote himself into the!
Admiral Waistell still hoped that he would ask the Commander-in-Chief to dinner.
By that time he hoped they would be so far ahead that the Commander-i thief would linet have served in any war, The remaining member of the Zero lub would then hav this advantage, that he could tell his stories chou war without fear of contradiction Caughter).
To win to a more serious matte there had been troublous times in Shanghai and it was possible that there might be troublous times in the future, He was perfectly sure that in an organization like the Zero Clu Shanghai could boast f a very great asset which they could not value too hie Gen. Wardrop's Painful Experience General Wardrop thanked the Zero Club for its hospi ity to the Army, the same time he thought he had got complaint. In his un-imitation Yor cond faith and asked if he might made a member. He was blickballfed without one dissentient was a way they ha Being half a Scotsman and half of English parentage he went to St Andrew's Society in all good fand asked if he might join then There were reasons too pa Ful to be alluded to, but he was blackbulled again (laughter). However, he accepted the matter with equ and called to his rescue his Scottish ancestry and consoled binnself with the reflection that the hospitality of] Shanghai was so great. that matter what function went on, either he disarmed. and dismissed, where of St. Andrew's Society or the Zero Chub, Iie would be there without vig for it. The Chairman had spoken about loyalty, and with loyalty came friendship. ity and friend- clothes then referred in Hankow, where roderic existed, pride in work done for the Empire and for the different services with which the members had been associated. It was with all sincerity: that he wished to say how] much he admired the Zero Club and the spirit actuating. it.
Fessenden's Zero Hour Mr, Fessenden remit that when the war broke out he was too young} to take part in it. But by carefull ening he had begun to understand what "zero hour" meant, and what} going over the top meant to the soldier. He was beginning to appreciate what a soldier's feelings! were on going over the top, and he was beginning to appreciate what it would mean for him going over the but we have one friend who is not quite British. body. is in 'Shanghai but I believe his heart is: in England. Needless to say I refer to our friend Mr. Fessenden. 1 am' sure he will forgive me if I tell you little story about a compatriot of lady from the Middle West. who Jin the course of a tour around the world arrived on The Bund and when she saw the Shanghai skyline, ex-top on April 17, when his zero hour was two o'clock, to get 81 millions: for Shanghai (laughter). He was, however, somewhat encouraged by} the moving pictures, for there when!
fellow went over the top he always! came back with what he went to et. He hoped to go and do the same (applause). One thing he thought he could sey repre to the Zero Club} than to anybody else. They had ly, just look what the been going through
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.