"T do not like fying, and my wife and T hope that if we are transferred to another post that we may be allowed to travel by camel" said Sir "Archibald Clark Kerr to the RAF.A when 72 members gave a luncheon Tn_his honour at "The Dome" on fareh 18, His appointments, _how-fever, had brought. him into" contact great deal with the RAF. and aviation generally and he had flown some 20,000. males. began fying on a trapeze" Sir Archibald stated, "and have flown in fall kinds of machines from the old Daddy. Longlegs 'Victorias' to. the Gloucester Gladiators and I-have never been sick" Sir Archibald, however, reminded members that whilst the had been candid and had admitted his dislike for fying, he dia Fecognize what an asset quick travel was, especially when it enabled the Foreign Office to break all existing records when they were able to transfer him from Iraq to China in just under seven weeks out of which ten days were spent on holiday and business in London. "I like people who fly because 1° think there Is always something about them which other people have not got—they always seem to have such endearing natures. I have even begun to pick up, some of, their technical' terms—if they ike you, you are a wizard? trid if they give a party they, push Out the boat." T remember fying Traq and the pilot telling me it wa not necessary to pull the parachute string because parachutes do not work in Traq—that is what T mean when T say people who fly have uch endearing natures" 1 also fect that T_have received more than are of the praise from your President, not that T don't Uke it, befeause T do, but T feel T should awaft your opinion this time next yer "The president, Mr. J. E. Badeley, in his speech of welcome recalled that Sir Archibald was an ex-serviceman and a Scotsman. The President fauld that Scotsmen are to be found ition through out the Empire Samuel Johnson had said "The fairest prospect. a Scotsman ever sees ly the rond that leads to Eng-Yana" and that whilst the road to Ching could hardly. be called "fair" he was sure that HM. Ambassador was not dismayed.
All members were agreed that Sir Archibald had revealed himself being possessed of an abundant sense of humour which should stand him fu good stead to overcome the dil. cullles and problems he would meet in the course of his duties in China, find on behalf of the Association the President Informed Sir Archibald that whilst he was very capably assisted and advised in all, matters pertaining to the alr by HIM. Air Ritache, that nevertheless the ser-Vices of the Royal Air Force Asso-lation of Shanghai both individually and collectively were at his entire:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.