STORY OF HONG KONG

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 96, 20 October 1934, Page 18

STORY OF HONG KONG

AN INTERESTING EVENING

A delightful evening was enjoyed at the Pioneer Club by a large number of members .'of-the club and their friends yesterday when they were shown a film of Hong Kong and given a very charming talk about that wonderful city-by Mrs. 0. J.Church (who in her business lifo is known as Mrs. Beatrice Thorn-, son, a director of the Advertising and Publicity Bureau of China). The pie-: twos were., immensely enjoyed, as : also was tho • descriptive talk about.- them and the life generally. . ; .'• ;.

Miss Amy Kane (president), :Who;ro- ; ccived the,, guests, wore a frock- of petunia lace. Mrs. Chnrch was:...in black satin souplo with puffed sleeyesj and a delightful wrap, of heavily, emr, broidered Chinese silk with a~. deep white fringe.' • " -.::■. Mrs. Church, compared- Wellington" and Hong Kong in the way of building on reclaimed land. Apparently the same can be said of the. latter city as : has often been remarked about Wellington "that it is largely made by Scraping down the hills and putting them into the sea!" Tho harbours ,'U'O similar in appearanco, though ,the trade is not comparable, as Hong Kong ranks about fourth in the groat trading centres of the world. . Mrs. Church 'said that tho two cities were outposts of the British Empire, both carrying a deep impress of- British characteristics, and wero interesting accordingly. But while this country was a groat way from the centres of tho World, Hong Kong edged' a ' huge ■ 'continent, surrounded in its turn by a vast-ocean. Around wero many millions of people and many different languages-and dialects, making' life much more complicated. This all served to' make the British in the East as isolated as those who were simply divided ,by miles of ocean, and Mrs. Church urged that the people in either country, should not allow their sense' of distance; to make them afraid to contend against the inevitable disabilities, for all wero capablo of being overcome if people went tho right way about it. In Hong Kong the life was both varied and charming in p. number of ways, and one pleasant thing was tlio largo number of peoplo from all parts of the world who visited tho East and enjoyed its different atmosphere, and varied aspects of life, including that of the ancient civilisation, which was immensely delightful and interesting. The people in and near Hong Kong were extraordinarily ignorant of this country, for little was heard except about earthquakes, snowy mountains, and tho possibility of growing and exporting excellent "Canterbury lamb!" Mrs. Church spoke eloquently about tho influence of the British ideals in Hong Kong, which, after all, was but "an insignificant speck of land," only different from the rest of the East because it was British, and she regarded it as a beacon pointing out and emphasising to tho vast number of Chineso people the Western ideals of life and business. There was a wellX>lamied conference organised for next, year when a trade fair . would take place, and she hoped that this part of tho Empire would bo worthily represented.

Mrs. Church's address was full of interest, and the vote of thanks paseod was an enthusiastic one. •

Some delightful music was also enjoyed, Miss Pruo Lewis and MissOrmi Eeid providing this (violin and piano), and later somo discussion took place on various points in the excellent address. There was a largo number present, and many had the pleasuro of meeting Mrs. Church personally.