To the Editor of the "Nonmi-Cuea Dart News"
Sin—In reply to my inquiry, Fr. Jonersi, Director of Siccawei Obserlvatory, writes me that the Vernal [Equinox this year will take place on JMonday, Mar.'21, at 2hr, ddmin, 33sec. lpm. Shanghai time, true Shanghai IMeriaian, at. which time, to the second, the Iranian New Year will Jcommence—the Great Luminary of the Solar System will pass on to the [Northern Hemisphere in its celestial orbit, "and once more the organic beings in this Northern Hemisphere will receive the revitalizing rays of the great life sustainer, the Sun, without which no life could be con: clyable on this globe of ours, We, the Iranian race, from time immemorial "have considered—the loceasion of the Vernal Equinox our greatest national "holiday. In. the checkered history of our national life have had all kinds of ups and idowns—we have conquered the' surrounding nations and. races; we have opened the Suez Canal, £0 that jour fleet could sail from the Tranian Guit "to the "Midland Sea othe Mediterranean): we have been con: guared by allen races; we have fast Jour independence for generations Jand have regained it; our language, alphabet, date of recognizance and leven our religion have been changed more than once; but we have retained jas our Kew Year the heavenly pheno-Jmenon of the Vernal Equinox. We Hranians of the present' age. have eae the grateful to our forefathers for having so dearly preserved: this scientific New Year for us.
As we Iranians of this cosmopolitan laity Join with our friends of various jpationalities in the festivities and pleasures of their New Year, we are auc, tat they wil algo share in our Joresent joy" ar mess. This best, however, due to the unfortunate circumstances' prevalent in. the Far East, happiness and joy cannot be Jexpected of anyone. We who have jived for such a long time in the [Far East, and therefore look upon this part of the world as our second Ihomeland, are distressed by the present quarrel between two" great jond sister nations, and can only voice the hope that this Spring will Dung *Jnarmony and concord tothe two Jareat nations andthe Far Bast will again be the Paredise of peace and Jamity, then we who are guests of [these two great notions may be happy H, Toury.
Shanghai, Mar. 19.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.