The news received over the radio before the dinner of the Oxford and Cambridge Society Saturday night at the Metropole Hotel that Cambridge had won again and that Oxford, "after a magnificent effort, had to be content with a position well down the course, did nothing to mar the cheeriness of the gathering, at which Mr. T. V. Soong, the chairman of the Bank of China' and a-leading spirit in the 'Natlonat' Ezonomle Council, was the guest of honour. Cambridge "men were discreetly cheery; Oxford men discreetly depressed; and the atmosphere of discretion' all round only fave way to the brilliantly witty Speeches by which the occasion was Inter enlivened. number of members of the society took advantage of the arrangements of the secretary, Mr. A, H. Samson, for the brondeasting' of the race, They were, MBwever, doomed to disappointment, as the " reception was. full of fireworks which had no relations to the contest in hand. By closely applying his ear to the re-civing set one of the members was able from time to time to announce the progress of the race to the others gathered Interestedly around.
The annual general meeting of the society—surely the smoothest annual general meetings known to Shang. hhal—took place after the broadcast fof the race and before the dinner.
'Attar the Rev. R. D, Rees, the viee= resident acting on' behalf of Mz.
C. Miskin, the president who is oh Teave, had conducted the usual business," the following were elected members of the committee for the coming year:—President, 'Mr, R. D. Rees; vice-president, Dr. Wu Lien-teb; how,' see, Mr. A, H, Samson; mem: bers. Messrs, "W. C. Cassels, J. MeNell, Dr. G. Earle, ' and Judge Lo Hung-yun, Aitor a well served meal and the usual loyal toasts, Mr. 1, H. Lamb was called upon 19 propose the toast of "Alma Mater," which he did with becoming modesty and a pungent wit that had most of his hearers roaring with laughter throughout. He explained how he had accepted the not appreciated his qualifications, as he was probably the only person resent who had been to two uni versities and had not taken a degree at either, Mr. Rees then concluded with a graceful tribute to Me. Soong a: the guest of honour's health was drunk with acclamation.
Popularity of Tax-gatherers In his reply Mr, Soong attempted fo brush aside all the good things that bad been said about him. A taxgatherer was never popular, nor was {[a man who pursued his present oe Jeupation of refusing to lend money as freely as borrowers would wish. Despite the cordiality of his welcome he still felt somewhat as one who intruded upon a family gathering. 'Though his recollections of Harvard were still' vivid enough to. raise visions of calling down the wrath of the gods upon Yale, he could still be unmoved while the present company excited themselves over what had been going on on the Thames.
He referred to a day's visit to Oxford in the company of Mx. Lionel Curtis during his last visit to England, and said he took courage from the rashness of some twenty-four-hour commentators upon China and Shang-hal, to venture to make a few remaiks, upon British Universities, before T arrived in England," he! said, "I confess I hardly knew what to expect from your universities; 1 had heard so many stories, some' which puzzled me extremely. For example, T was told that the' sarus Jof one university forbade undergraduates to carry bows and arrows Into their lecture rooms, and denied them the pleasures of bear-baiting 'There was' also the metier of yot fnberty-loving Englishmen shepherded through the streets by proctors and bull-dogs, 'Then, though T am sure'
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.