Certainly the man to whom we owe this great institution, with all the opportunities and advantages which It affords—certainty that man, deserving of our remembrance and of our gratitude, You, Mr. Chairman, have outlined the history of the Lester bequests and given us in a few words the facts of the late Mr.
Laster's life. It Is over ten years singe Henry Lester died, and in. his lifetime it'may have been that' his quiet, unostentatious, reserved—In-Seed secluded-—manner of living was misinterpreted or misunderstood. claim and this right we gladly zo, and T think Lean say with Justice that in the many centres throughout China where we have established our own Interests and Where we carry on our activities of trade, commerce and dally intercourse with our Chinese friends, this lim has not been ignored. T have been a short time only in China but wherever I have been whether here, in Nanking, Peiping or 'Tientsin have seen with gratifteation evidence of the anxiety which my countrymen, and not my countrymen only bui many' others {rom foreign lands, feel for the increased prosperity and ad~ vaneement of those among whom they live.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.