To-day is a holiday for section of the British community. whose thoughts turn irresistibly to the little seaport city—royal burgh, university, town and. the shrine of golf—where the relics of St, Andrew are. said to lie. The vigour of the Scottish trad tion in the Tifg of the British Empire has, long testified to the value of the strong individuality which marks the race, Prime Ministers of Great Britain, bankers and merchants in the Far East, comedians, sportsmen, political visionaries and mystical playwrights may be accounted the products of Scotland, generously supplied to the com mon stock of the Brit monwealth. Shanghai Scottish traditions well. time last year it shad it the pleasure of affording a temporary resting-place the Royal Scots Fusiliers.
Now the Argyll and Sutherland) Highjanders—paying their second visit in the year—are the representatives of Scottish arms the British Garrison. And, at a time when there is so vast an aura of gloom abroad the Scottish in Shanghai are to be congratulated on maintaining their spirit of celebration. A Scottish writer, whose name Shanghai has special reasons to remember, poignantly immortalised the manner of "carrying on" by the "First Hundred Thousand" in the time of the Great War." So it is fitting that Scots to-day act up to the inspiration of an "even greater writer of th their greatest:
Sound, sound the clarion, fil the To all the sensual world proclaim One crowded hour of glorious life Is worth an age without a name"
Characteristically Scott threw in that fragment, as if of some unnamed poet of his own discovery, as a chapter heading to one of the Waverley Novels. Its casual appearance emphasises the virility of the traditions which -it" invoked.
For Scotland, contrary to the beliefs of some, has ever encouraged the gay spirit of tolerant good fellowship. Even the stern unbending John. Knox, who preached his first sermon in the Holy Trinity Church of St. Andrews, was a romantic in his way. And the tradition has been broadened through the centuries in Scott, Burns, Barrie and Jan Hay. The "unco guid" fare always less assured Scottish affection than the weaker, and paradoxically, more vigorous, vessels. Scott declared: am a bad hand at depicting a properly so-called and have an unfortunate propensity for the dubious characters of the Borderfers, buccaneers, Highland robbers and all others of a Robin. Hood description'
This receives a fitting comment tary by quotation of Thackeray's remark: though the heroes of Scott seem a little ashamed of what they are about, blush a little at having to such heroic things, yet a wise mother would choose sich men to be the husbands of her daughters."
Itvis to be hoped that this English tribute will not be found embarrassing to Scottish bachelors who take the floor tonight amid the hospitable glamour of St. Andrews Ball. Scottish minstrels have always been dangerous in their appeal to the lyrical emotions. Scottish ballads from the days of Dunba have held their own in simplicity and directness. Subtler and more polished the English form may have been but, for all its outstanding merits, it haq to yield place in" forestalling Bernard Shaw's picture of the duel of the sexes, Let an ancient Scottish" vhymester speak: ing frae the banks, the Wha had been wooing at moule a beguile a young Caution may well be imposed on debutantes to-night.
These reminders of Scottish colour and romance should not altogether divert attention from the practical part played by Scottish men and women in the life of Shanghai. Sometimes critics are restive at the need for stressing Scottish individualism, The criticism is overdone "and, frequently, ignores the ordinary con siderations of proportion... On this day it calls for no elaborate refutation. It is sufficient to point to the St. Andrews Society, ith its active policy of community service, to justify. the place secured by Scots in the esteem of Shanghai. That. Society, under the direction of a succession of able officers, works efficiently and zealously for the good of Scots and, in so doing, never neglects to lead or follow in common action or expression of view demanded by the general interests of Shanghai as a whole. Its support of, social and sporting activities is the outward sign of that deeper and more vital encouragement which it gives to philanthropic effort. Just now when, in common with the other National Societies, it is feeling a heavy strain on its resources, it can confidently: command the most loyal sympa thy and reinforcement from the well-disciplined members on its list, Not the least significant mark of its sense of public service is the whole-heartedness of the celebration set down for today. For it is by taking adverse ity in its stride that the Society feels itself best equipped to solve the present difficulties.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.