Lord Chatfield, replying on behalf fof the guests, dwelt on the reasons for Anglo-Chinese mutual attraction.
He recalled the traditional saying that a Chinaman's word was as good Jas his bond. "Ht stil is." Lord Chat etd declared.
"The British," he went on, "also make it a malter of pride {9 keep their word, and honour ther bonds. We have been giving rather big ones recently, but events and decisions during the Last few days show that they can be taken at their face value.
"perhaps the quality we admire most, and would do well to profit by, Chinese respect for the old and the wise—things gained by experlence and living, rather than spects: cular things so easily come by, and 0 ephemeral. I could have wished tonight that I could think only of the peaceful country scenes depicted in your art, rather than of the horror of war, and the useless and irreparfable destruction that is going on in your country.
"So we ave standing on the brink of a similar abyss, knowing like you the madness of war, yet. believing like you that we must be prepared to die when our individuality and ideals ate threatened. We feel, as you must indeed know, the deepest Sympathy towards you at this time of tial
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.