To-day a very old friend China leaves Shanghai for native land, On. another page will be found Di. John Dare rach's swan song, from this side of the globe at any rate, in the "North-China Daily News." His departure will be regretted by, the staff of this paper on personal grounds, for apart from his own unswerving friendship with the "North-China Daily News," he has for a long period of years been a frequent contributer to its columns, His lively sense of humour, his fund of anecdotes and his indomitable youth have also been a source unfailing inspiration on thes', premises.
Of Dr. John Darroch's work in China there is hardly any need to speak, It would be dit ficult for a man to be for 80 mang years in this country, how= ever modest he might be, to hide his light entirely under " bushel, When, as with Dr: Darroch, his career included extended experience in the interior of the country and close personal contact with the Chinese people, his influence and reputation "are bound to be of common know= ledge, For fifteen years Dr. Darroch was a member of th China Inland Mission, and he left that body to take charge of the translation bureau which did. such valuable work for six years under the auspices of the Imperial University la the presentation to the Chinese people of some of the great works of. Western literature in Chines For this Dr. Darroch _rocoived th degree of Science, ie, Tsinsze (D, Lift.) from the Emperor himself. This achievement was the fruit of his long ministration to the needs of the people of Anhwei in which Provinoo he journeyed and preached for nearly twenty years. In 1908, after a short visit to England, he returned to China as Gener Agent for the Religious Tral Society, a position which he has held until the present day and in which he has translated a large number of religious books in Chinese as well as examined Chinese manuscripts for pub-Heation by the Society. During the Great War, Dr. Darroch embarked upon the perils of editors ship, and under the auspices of the War Information Committee edited a War paper called Ch'eng Pao (1 to his other duties with Religious Tract Society. This little paper achieved an aggre gate circulation of nearly 4,000,- 000 copies, and ite editor received the special thanks of the British Foreign Office and, eventually, the Order of the British Empire.
Dr. Darroch has always taken the liveliest interest in Chinest affairs. He. is a sincere friend of China, and his sincerity is no less marked because he has not hesitated on occasions to in~ dulge in plain speaking. His scholarship in Chinese litera ture alone would have gained for him the respect of the people among whom he had worked 80 long, but there is little. doubt that' they, foreign Friends, hi respect with the esteem deser-vodly generated by his own personal qualities. It is with every good wish for a long and well earned retirement in England that Dr. Darroch to-day receives the farewell greetings of Shanghai in general and this, paper in particular, TONIC "et Oot, 30. ceremony has' opened Pay The King, with appropria
ment. With a Labour, Gove ment in attendance, the Hered! ary Earl Marshal of England—
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.