Today the United States Marines celebrate their 164th birthday, and, had it not been for the rain which fell on Wednesday, making the Race Course ground too sodden for the purpose, there would have been a parade by the 4th Marines in honour of the day, a function to which many in Shanghai were looking forward. In another column will be found a brief history of one of the most interesting bodies in the world. The Marines have seen active service in many parts and have moved to the protection of American interests in different Countries and most notably in recent years in China and especially Shanghai. Twenty years younger than their British opposite numbers the Royal Marines, the U.S. Marines have a fine tradition behind them, and to say that they adhere to the high standards they have set in the past is but to pay a very small tribute to a remarkable aggregation of men. In the 4th Marines which have been stationed in Shanghai, this community has been afforded an excellent object lesson of the qualities of these men, and they have carved for themselves a niche in the affection and esteem of Shanghai which is peculiarly theirs. Their relations with the forces of other nationalities concerned in the defence of the International Settlement have throughout been most fortunate, and those between themselves and the various British regiments are highly regarded by British units which have since left these shores. Perhaps one of the greatest factors which has assisted them so greatly in capturing the imagination of Shanghai has been the officers who have had command of them. Cols. Lyman and "Dick" Hooker, Maj-General Beaumont, and now Col. Fegan' have proved themselves excellent commanders with the happy faculty of being able to get along well with those of other nationalities, and to say that they have contributed largely to the excellent relations which have existed ever since it became necessary to have a defence force in Shanghai is but to state the merest truth. The 4th Marines may rest assured, that despite the fact of the weather preventing a large turnout for their parade today, in the celebrations of this their anniversary they have the hearty good wishes of the whole of Shanghai.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.