:
March 20, 1909.]
THE VISITING WARSHIPS.
During the past week the Colony of Hong- kong has been entertaining the Officers and men of the Third (Philippine) Squadron of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, and two warships of the French Navy happening to be visiting the port at the same time, the officers and men of these ships have joined in many of the festivities.
RECEPTION COMMITTEE'S ARRANGEMENTS.
The following gentlemen formed a Recep- tion Committee to organise the public entertainment to the visiting squadron: Sir Paul Chater, Kt., C.M.G., Hon Mr E. A. Hewett, Hon Mr W. J. Gresson, Hon Mr H. A. W. Slade, Hon Mr H. E. Pollock, K.C, Hon Dr. Ho Kai, C.M.G., Hon Mr Wei Yuk,
C.M.G., Messrs M. Stewart, J. R. M. Smith. D. R. Law, E. Shellim. C. S. Gubbay, R. Shewan, A. Babington, E. Ormiston, H. P. White, T. F. Hough, W. Dixon, E. G. Barrett, H. N. Mody, H. E. Tomkins.
The programme drawn up by the Local Enter- tainment Committee and approved by Rear- "Admiral Harber was as follows:-
March 15.-Opening of Baseball Tournament for teams from the ships, for a Cup given from the Entertainment Fund.-Dinner to the officers by Admiral Lambton on board H.M.S. King Alfred.
March 16.-Dinner to the officers by His Excellency Sir F. Lugard, at Government House.
March 17.-Dinner to the officers at the Hongkong Club.
March 20.-Regatta at which there will be a race, and prize, for boats from the Fleet.- Boxing at the City Hall in the evening.
March 23-Final Match of the Baseball
Tournament.
March 24.-Lunch at race-course to men of the Fleet, followed by sports.
March 25.-Lunch and Sports:-Military tattoo on the Cricket Ground, and supper dance at the Hongkong Club.
and
The following attended the Banquet at Government House, on the 16th inst:-
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
BANQUET TO THE OFFICERS AT
THE HONGKONG CLUB.
On Wednesday Rear-Admiral Harber and the Officers of the Philippine Squadron, together with Admiral Perrin and the Officers of the French warships now in the harbour, were entertained at dinner at the Hongkong Club. Sir Paul Chater, C.M.G., presided over large gathering which included H.E. the Governor, Admiral Sir Hedworth Lambton. and upwards of one hundred and
a
235
Committee on Decorations were trying to as- certain what is the American national flower. We haven't one yet, but it will probably be the timid violet as soon as Burbank grows one as big as an nationality wanted the nation to adopt the umbrella. Our fellow citizens of Mr. May's potato. The overture was declined, and then the usual rioting in the streets began. But I did not tell Mr. Hough the real reason why I hesitated. The fact is it is never fair to put an American up in a public place, to ask him to cross his heart and to say what he thinks of the
gentlemen representing the Services and the English, especially if they be Scotch. fifty
civil community.
After the banquet the Chairman submitted the toasts of the King, the President of the United States and the President of the French Republic, the Band playing a few bars of the national anthems of each country Mr. T. F. HOUGH in proposing the toast of The Guests" recalled the fact that when it was known that the American Battleship Fleet
*
was starting
we are
on their
stupendons under- taking of a voyage round the world, Hong- kong at once cabled an invitation to the Fleet to visit the port, and though it was accepted, for some reason not known that arrangement was subsequently altered. They had now, however, the pleasure of welcom- ing the Third Squadron of the United that he expressed the feelings of States Pacific Fleet.
He was confident every out to them the right hand of member of the community when he held fellow- ship and tendered them the heartiest and most cordial of all possible welcomes-(Ap- | plause.) They were also honoured that night by the presence of representatives of the French Fleet, in Admiral Perrin and his officers. incidents in which History teemed with the Anglo-Saxons and the French had co-operated and they were able to hold out to them the hand of friendship as friends. His Most Faithful Majesty the King of Then they also had the presence of officers of Portugal the descendants of those Por- tuguese to whom we owed so much in days gone by and for the charts of this coast which now using. Reverting to the officers of the U. S. Fleet, the speaker referred to the co-operation of the American troops in the Rear Admiral Giles B. Harber; Personal Boxer troubles in North China when the 9th Staff, Lieutenant Leahy and Ensign Craig; Regiment of the United States infantry so U. S. S. Charleston. Commander Knapp, gallantly distinguished itself. When they saw Lieutenant Winston, Ensign Cooley, Medical the flower of manhood standing shoulder to Inspector Diehl, Paymaster Wise; U. S. S. shoulder in the cause of duty on the field of Cleveland, Commander Van Duzer, Ensign battle, why should they not stand together Dillen, Ensign Church, P. A. Surgeon Brown; in the peaceful walks of life?--(Applause.) U. S. 8. Denver, Commander Parker, Lieuten- Rear Admiral HARBER, in acknowledging ant Sayles, Ensign Smead, P. A Surgeon the toast, said he was exceedingly pleased Dessez, U. S. S. Calveston, Commander Hooge- to be present with his officers to receive werff, Ensign Root, P. A. Paymaster the hospitality of their hosts to whom Hancock: U. S. S. Chattanooga, Commander he wished to tender his heartfelt thanks. Wright, Lieutenant Horne, P. A. Sar- The Admiral entered into some interesting geon Hoyt, Asst. Paymaster Lathrop, reminiscences of his connection with the U.S.8. Samar, Ensign Withers; Consul (U.S. Navy, and went on to say that it General Wilder, Admiral and Madame Perrin, was his privilege to Captain Thibault, Admiral Sir Hedworth Lamb-port English officers
meet again in this as he had done ton, Commodore and Mrs. Lyon, Commander when visiting Hongkong thirty-seven years Norris, Captain Fitzherbert, Commander and
ago. It Mrs. Penfold, Captain Clinton Baker, Captain entered the
was his proud boast
he Wilkin, Captain Smith, Captain Marescaux,
to say that he was the man with the earliest acquaintance with Commander and Mrs. Basil Taylor and Miss colony, Fut he had learned Corbett, Mr. Blanchflower, Mr. and Mrs. May, the honour did not belong to him, as Sir Sir Henry Berkeley, Mr. Thomson, r. and Paul Chater could claim to having been here Mrs. Chatham, Dr. and Mrs. Atkinson, Sir before him. He again thanked every one for Paul Chater, Mr. Hewett, Mr. and Mrs. their courtesy and kindness and trusted they Badeley, Mr. Irving, Dr. Ho Kai, Mr. Wei might all meet more frequently. Yuk, Mr. and Mrs. Pollock, Mr. and Mrs. Admiral PERRIN replied on behalf of the Gresson, Mr. and Mr. Slade, Mr. Fletcher, Sir French visitors. Speaking in French he referred Francis and Lady Piggott, Mr and Mrs Gom-to the well known hospitality of Hongkong and, pertz, Mr and Mrs J. R. M. Smith, Mr and Mrs Tomkins, Mr Law, Mr Shewan, Mr Babingtom, Mr and Mrs Ormiston, Mr H. P. White, Mr T. F. Hough, Mr and Mrs Barrett, Mr Murray Stewart, Mr and Mrs Shellim, Mr Gabbay, Mr W. Dickson, Lady and iss Erskine, Mr and Mrs Messer, General Broad- wood, Colonel Darling, Colonel and Mrs Bayard, Colonel and Mrs Prior, Captain Heathcote, r
Marsh.
By kind permission of Colonel Bayard and the Officers of the Regiment, the Band of The Buffs played selections of music during and after dinner when there was a dance to which a large number of residents had been invited of His Excellency.
the
room
when
that
in graceful terms, tendered his most cordial thanks for the reception accorded to himself
and his officers.
Dr. AMOS P. WILDER, Consul General for the United States, proposed the toast of "The Colony" in a speech of which every sentence in the first half was punctuated with hearty laughter, while' the sentiments so eloquently expressed in the latter half evoked frequent applause. He said: - When Mr. Hongh, the uncrowned, unofficial dictator of this Colony, asked me to tell the visitors about Hongkong, I hesitated. I intimated that I was a shy man, and he merely smiled. For some reason a Britisher will never give an American credit for modesty. The
An American tourist once asked me if I found the Chinese interesting; I told him not half BO interesting as mark of Scotch logic
the Scotch. My wife is Scotch; and I can see the hall and precision on my children. When I tell them that God made them, they want me to prove it. The girls, although in the doll stage have love affairs already, and the boys have gathered in all the marbles in the neighbourhood. I went to a Each person was given a pencil and paper and a party the other night where they played a game. lady played 25 tunes on the piano; the point was Scotch tunes and one was something about to identify them. Twenty-three of them were bleeding with a man named Wallace. I could name only one tune: that was America." It was ruled out as "God save the King". I stood it patiently until the lady at the piano turned round and said "Mr. Wilder you don't seem to be
very musical," There's a glorious self- satisfaction about Mr. Hough's race that I had three sons of whom he was very proud-one admire. You remember the Scotchman who a lawyer, one a doctor, and oneta minister. He was telling an old crony about it one day. He said "If I had known that I was to be the father of three such fine boys-a doctor, a lawyer, and a minister,--I'd never had Jennie McCosh for a British audience except in the most general wife." It is always difficult to address a
terms.
It isn't
the English, the. Irishmen don't like it; If you say anything nice about and if you say anything nice about the Irish your conscience bothers you. necessary to say anything nice about the Irish; they take care of themselves. When
go
to England, Devon is the only county I want to see. Mr. Shelton Hooper tells me that when I have seen that I won't want to see anything else. I told that to a man of Kent early in the game. But gentlemen of the Visit- and he said that was true if I got discouraged ing Squadron, it is my function to tell you some- thing of this Colony. It is headed by one of nature's nobleman. Sam Johnson said of Edmund Burke that he that if you met him as
was such a man a stranger under shed
to escape the rain, no word being presence of a great man. said, you would know you were in the the Governor of this Colony, stripped him of his So if you took titles, his decorations, the rewards of his grateful Sovereign; if you did not know he was an Empire builder, and had written as well as made Africa in putting down slavery and in entrench- history; that he carries wounds earned in ing law and order; if you dropped this unsup. ported man on an American prairie or in the crowded Bowery, there is not one of our what would recognize in his modesty, his people, even the children in the streets, but
quality, wearing the white flower of a blameless common sense, his frankness, and his manly life, the greatest of human orders, numbering islands of the sea, the unbadged order of kind, men of every nation and of the unvisited strenuous, honest, manhood. Hongkong is an island eleven miles long and you will think it is eleven miles high if you walk up on a warm day. The city is built on the lines of a stone wall 4 feet high and 6 feet thick. When the builder that if the wall was blown down, it would be was asked why he built his wall so, he replied higher than it was before. The British Ad- miral walks to the Peak every day. Theodore Roosevelt would appreciate the vigorous ways the mental alertness and the glowing human quality in our friend Sir Hedworth, and I trust they may meet. The Admiral may lack the intense consuming absorption of Mr. Roosevelt in the issue of the moment. Mr. Roosevelt's young son says that this enthusiasm is so great that when his father is at a wedding, he thinks he's the bride, and when he goes to a funeral
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