In declaring the new premises open, Mr, Barton remarked that the club was composed of 20 of the hardest working men of Shanghai, and already had a very honourable reputation. It existed for the purpose of help, a very necessary thing in these days, and it had achieved its object in one particular direction, in that it ensure ed that these 20 hard working men should be sure of at least one drink a week (laughter). Now although in this town of clubs the Zero Club was a young one, the worthy example it had set had not been without its followers. Only last week the oldest club in Shanghai—not 1,000 yards from the site of the Zero Club—had also started a career of mutual help for its members. It also had a restricted membership, all of - hard-working men, and in these hard times the committee. had decided that while there existed numerous societies here in Shanghai to help those requiring it, there should be some organization for those who were too proud to beg and undoubtedly required help. It had accordingly decided that its members should be sure of at least one meal. Tt was true that that meal was only tea, but even so.it was something in these hard times. That was a club that was born in the days of Shanghai's innocence, before the days of chits. There were no chits in that club and the tea was not signed for. What was going to happen to the finances of the club was not yet known as a result, of this unparalleled generosity, but it was safe to say that the members were facing the prospect of bankruptcy with that well-known courage in these cireumstances for which Shanghai was always famous (laughter).
THE POSITION OF SHANGHAI, Continuing Mr. Barton remarked that one of the essential conditions for membership of the Zero Club. was a sense of humour, and it followed that anybody who possessed that must also on occasion be serious, and he would like for a moment to strike a more' serious note. The principal object of the Zero Club was to foster the spirit of comradeship created and_ex-amplified by the Great War. There was no doubt that in Shanghai to-day, years after the war, ample room exh for the fostering of that sp in order that they micht continue to enjoy the many privileges they had at present. Whatever opinions were expressed about the merits of ug a place such as Shanghai compared with Home, it must be admitted that in many ways they were very well off here, and all things considered, they had a very comfortable existence. The conditions on which that comfortable existence was hased had been built un by generations of men. and they could only be maintained with ever increasing difficulty and by, the cultivation of the same spirit. which. rendered them possible in the past. Very few, possibly, of the many residents of Shanghai to-day realized what was going to the maintenance of Shanghai as they knew it as a place of residence for foreigners. The maintenance of these things required a very great deal of work and was a task of considerable difficulty,.and the difficulties were bound to grow every day. Ther fore every institution in Shanghai which had for its object the spirit and fostering of comradeship, which meant self-sacrifice, was deserving of the greatest encouragement. He congratulated the Zero Club on its new quarters, and he hoped for great results from it in the future in maintaining the spirit of comradeship. He asked the guests to drink to the Zero Club.
Maior Martin, on behalf of the members, thanked Mr. Barton for his presence. They appreciated the fact that a distinguished servant.of the Crown should find time to come there, and it gave them' the feeling that the Zero Club had been recognized. Although it was rather difficult' sometimes in Shanghai to live up to their ideals, they aimed at doing
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.