After a night of gay festivities, Shanghai Japanese this morning will put on a more solemn mien to mark the arrival of 1938, On the deck, of H.LI.M.S. Idzumo, a flag-hoisting ceremony will be held at 8 o'clock in the morning, followed by bows in the direction of the Imperial Palace and before the portraits of Emperor Hirohito and Empress Nagako and toasts to Their Majesties.
'A similar ceremony will be held at 8.50 o'clock in the morning in the compound of the Consulate-General Japanese civil officials here.
Later in the morning, local Japanese residents will visit the Consulate-General to pay respects before the portraits of the Emperor and the Empress and to drink toasts to their health, Stil later, officials and residents will meet at more informal gatherings in the Japanese Club and the of the Japanese Residents' restaurants and Auer establishments in Hongkew did hing business throughout last and this morning.
Money and "sake" flowed freely ajWHonkew's residents and uniformed guests sought a night of relaxation-from the rigours of the past five months.
The new year, whose advent was announced by the new huge bronze bell in the belfry of the Higashi Hongah Temple, was greeted with loud cheers in "Gaiety Square, formed by Woosung, Haining, Chapoo and Boone Roads.
To-night messages of greetings will be broadcast by General Iwane Masul and Vice-Admiral Kiyoshi Hasegawa. respectively in command of the land and naval forces in Central China, to millions of listeners in Japan. A Arrangements for the broadcast, as well as for a word-picture of the festivities here, were made by Station JOAK, Tokyo.
In spite of the special problem with which Shanghailanders find themselves this New Year season, with thousands of utterly destitute refugees more or less dependent on their assistance, the coming of 1938 was celebrated' in fitting style last night, although on rather a more moderate scale than in previous years. The prospects for 1938 may or may not be very bright, but the New Year must show an improvement on the unkind visBations of the Old Year upon a long-suffering Shanghai public, So yesterday everyone was casting his mind on the many things for which he had to be thankful, and the hopes which he held for the future, and was finding plenty of reasons for optimism, and even more for going out and having a good time.
For weeks and weeks, Shanghailanders have been making up parties for the- celebrations of New Year's Eve, and there were few tables left by last night at the local amusement centres, Each one, it was particularly noted, had put forth its most strenuous efforts to make this New Year a more than ordinarily festive occasion, sensing the needs of the Shanghai public, which galled for relief from the sufferings of three months,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.