Amusing Expedient in Dodging a Speech Rear-Admiral Charlee B. McVay, Gommander-in-Chief of the U.S, Asiatic Squadron, was the guest of members of the Union -Club of China on October 8 at tifin. Mr. G. 1. Wilson presided over feathering which included Mr. E..S. Cunningham, U.S. Consalral and Senior Consul: Mr. C.
Garstin, H.M. Consul-Genei it Frederick Whyte, adviser to the National Government: Mr. Hi J. ial Secretary to HM, Mr. W. C. Cassels and Mr. 8. L. Burdett, of H.M, Consulate-General: Mr. J. E. Jacobs, Mr. C. Meinhardt and Mr. A. Ringwalt, of the U.S. Consulate-General: Col. 2M. Cosgrave, Canadian Trade Core missioner: Dz. John C. H. Wa, pre-and chief judge of the Shanghai Provisional Court: Mr.
Massey, Mr. Pan Tsze-cliner, Mr. Chang Nieh-yun, Mr. Chun Shut kai, Mr. A. Bassett, Sheppard and Mr. J.'H. Lee, In calling upon Admiral MeVay to speak, Mr. Wilson said that Admiral was not new to Shanghai hho had been an honorary member of the Union Club for six years and all were pleased to see him back.
Admiral McVay said that, when he had received the invitation' to lunch. at his Shanghai club, his flag hieatenant failed to say anything him about giving a speech so he did not intend to say much. "When I left Washington, where I had been for four years," he said, "I told the. people there that, if they read in ihe papers that I had said anything, they were to deny my statements because they were not correct. When I went to Peking, I told 'Minister MacMurray that a' naval officer was not paid for talking; that. was his job and I was quite willing to let him do it. Inf Shanghai, we have a very eloquent Consul-General going to transfer the Job to "Mr, MacMurray asked me once what T was going to talk about and I replied 'Nothing.' 1 had nothing, to say, I couldn't talk of the navy because everyone knew about the navy. I couldn't talk of politics at home because they knew all there was about politics, ey Mr. Mac-Murray said to me 'Don't say anything about China.' T promised him that I wouldn't because I knew 40 ttle about China. I realized that I had only been here four times: and how little I knew. It reminded me of one of my grandsons who went, to school for the first time. When came home, his mother asked him chat he had learned in school that! day and he replied 'What I learned {in school I say in schoo! and don't say it in your house.' And that's the way I feel.
However," continued the speaker, am delighted to be back. I have been coming back since 1912 and it may interest you to know that, at the time of the revolution the first salute to the Republic of China was fired from the ship to which I was attached. Starting then and every day since T have been furnished with reports showing what has been doing here, in order that I could keep in close touch with the situa. tion, is mighty nize of me to luneneon. [appreciate it and Tam glad that I am not going to bore you with a speech. Thank you." (Applause).
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.