Farewell Dinner to Prince Ranjitsinhji - Revision history

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TCDE-Team: Created page with " ''Farewell Dinner to Prince Ranjitsinhji'' is an article published in the Aberdeen Daily Journal on 20 october 1908. == Farewell Dinner to Prince Ranjitsinhji == [[Aberdeen Daily Journal (20 october 1908, p. 6)]] '''GATHERING OF CRICKETERS AT CAMBRIDGE.''' A complimentary and farewell dinner was given to the Jam of Nawanagar Correct spelling : Navanagar.
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Created page with " ''Farewell Dinner to Prince Ranjitsinhji'' is an article published in the Aberdeen Daily Journal on 20 october 1908. == Farewell Dinner to Prince Ranjitsinhji == thumb|250px|right|[[Aberdeen Daily Journal (20 october 1908, p. 6)]] '''GATHERING OF CRICKETERS AT CAMBRIDGE.''' A complimentary and farewell dinner was given to the Jam of Nawanagar <ref>Correct spelling : Navanagar.</..."

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''Farewell Dinner to Prince Ranjitsinhji'' is an article published in the [[Aberdeen Daily Journal]] on 20 october 1908.

== Farewell Dinner to Prince Ranjitsinhji ==
[[File:aberdeen-daily-journal-1905-03-22-p6-sir-conan-doyle-as-a-motor-cyclist.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[Aberdeen Daily Journal]] (20 october 1908, p. 6)]]

'''GATHERING OF CRICKETERS AT CAMBRIDGE.'''

A complimentary and farewell dinner was given to the Jam of Nawanagar <ref>Correct spelling : Navanagar.</ref> in the Guild-hall, Cambridge, last night, when the leading figures in the world of cricket met to honour His Highness on the eve of his return to his Indian home. Viscount Clifden presided, and had the guest of the evening on his right. The company numbered 150, amongst those present being [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle]], Dr [[W. G. Grace]], Mr C. B. Fry, Mr F. S. Jackson, Lord Dalmeny, Mr A. C. MacLaren, Sir E. T. Candy, Mr H. D. G. Leveson-Gower, Mr Arthur Priestley, M.P.; Mr E. M. Grace, Mr H. L. Simms, Mr C. L. A. Smith, the Mayor of Cambridge (Mr H. G. Whibley). Mr Tom Hayward, Mr A. A. Lilley, Mr G. Cox, Mr J. Vine, Mr E. Killick, Mr E. Arnold, Mr G. W. Beldam, Mr S. Hargreaves, Mr J. T. Hearne, Colonel Kennedy, Mr K. G. Macleod, Mr W. Richards, Mr A. F. Somerset. Mr C. J. V. Weigall, the Master of Downing, etc. The picturesquely-attired native servants of the Prince were in attendance on His Highness.

Apologies of regret were intimated from, amongst otbers, Viscount Curzon, the Duke of Beaufort, Lord Harris, Hon. Alfred Lyttelton, Lord Morley of Blackburn, Mr A. G. Steel, K.C.; Lord Desborough.

Lord Hawke, in his apology for absence, said — "I have had the very great pleasure of being the guest of my friend the Jam Sahib in India, where he has given me the best of sport after big game. I yield to no one in my admiration for him as a cricketer, so I am doubly sorry I cannot join you in wishing him bon voyage, and in expressing the sincere hope of all his friends that ere very long we may have the pleasure of welcoming him to England once more. I need scarcely say I am sure you will have a most enthusiastic gathering."

The Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University (Canon Mason) wrote expressing his sense of what His Highness had done to promote the right and proper relationship between Indians and Englishmen.

On the souvenir menu toast list was given Prince Ranjitsinhji's cricket record, which showed averages varying from 25.82 in 1893 to 87.57 in 1900 for Sussex. The Jam Sahib has been top of the averages on eight occasions, including this season. In first-class matches for his county he has on fourteen occasions scored more than 200, his top performance being 285 in 1901, in which season he scored 3065 runs in 40 innings. This year he again came out top of the averages, with 45.52; his best score being 200.

'''THE TOAST OF THE EVENING.'''

The toast "Our Guest" was proposed by Mr A. Priestley, M.P., who said that the cricketing career of him they knew best as Prince Ranjitsinhji was common knowledge to every school boy in the Anglo-Saxon world, and to the many thousands who had been fascinated and charmed by the marvellous performances of his wizard hand. What was the key to this romantic career? The Jam came from our great Indian possession over 20 years ago as an ordinary prince to this cultured seat of learning. What great gifts of nature were they which had enabled him in a few years, not only to compete with, but to teach something to the greatest Englishman at them own game?? They knew he had a quick eye. (Hear, hear.) At least bowlers did. (Laughter.) They knew that he had a wonderfully subtle wrist. (Hear, hear.) But was that the whole secret? Possibly there was something else — something more than physical aptitude, for all men who reached pre-eminence possessed a power of determination, a concentration of effort, and a perseverance which alone placed them on the pinnacle of success which the few great achieved. (Hear, hear.) In season and out of season, whether successful or not, there was one motive power in his cricket that dominated everything else that he did, and that was that he was playing for his side. (Hear, hear.) He was going back to assume duties of an imperative character, and he (Mr Priestley) was satisfied that the qualities that had stood him in such good stead in the cricket field would be equally valuable to him in the administration of his great dependency. They and tens of thousands in England wished him God-speed — (hear, hear) — in discharge of these responsibilities, long life, and a large measure of the happiness he had here provided for others. (Cheers.)

The toast was received with musical honours.

'''THE PRINCE'S REPLY.'''

His Highness the Jam who was accorded e
vociferous reception, devoted the greater part
of his speech to the relationship between this
country and India. The honour done hrm to
mght he regarded somewhat in the hghi of a
second installation as Jam of Nawanagar, and
all the more gratifying it was to him in that it
was a voluntary act of ghe people of ths coun
try. He venwred to aay that there were no
finer eet of men in India than the loyal, edu
cated chiefs. («Cheers.) A retared and very
distinguished British general told him the other
day that the existence of the ruling princes of
India wes now considered by the Indian Gov-
ernment as an essential feature of the govern
ment of that country. That feeling was creat-
ing a loyalty in India of which they had no
conception. To Engliehmen the King wae a
cenatitutional monarch, to Indians thar Em
peror was more than that—he was there by
divine right, and they would do any mortal
thing for him. (Hear, hear.) He looked to
the future of Anglo-Indian relations optimisti-
eally and cheerfully, but if they were to pay
their proper homage to their King it was only
right the Governments of India should see thas
the authority of the ruling princes was re
spected. and that assistance ehould be given m
making them respected. (Hear, bear.) He
bebeved in the fall yustuce and
honesty of purpose of the Britash
Government in India. There was not a
secvice in the wide world which did ite duty in
a foreign land with a greater sense of justice
than the military and crvil servente of India,
but where mistakes had been made—and no
Government was perfect—he thought Cvwmsar
micht unbend and acknowledge his error.
(Hear, bear.) When they read of the mal-
contents in England, might he not make an
apoaiogy for the malcontents of India. (Hear,
hear.) He thought as an empire we
ought to treat all British eubjects alike. The
closing of the doors of South Africa, Australia.
and Canada to Indians had given nee to dae
satisfaction just as unemployment had caused
malcontente 3p thie country. In concludimg, His
Highness eaid:—I shall leave you with a very
sorrowiul heart. but at the same tame I am
starting On my new career with this one high
ideal, to do my duty to my country and my
people, to uphold the honour of my house and
race, to Masntain the unuy of our common
empire, and to show unewerving loyalty to the
pereon of my Sovereign. (Cheers. )

“Our Indian Empire” wes proposed by Sir
A. Conan Doyle, and Sur B. T. Candy, C.5.L.,
responded.

‘Famous Cricketers and County Cricket’
was proposed by Rev. A. H. F. Boughey.

Dr W. G. Grace, the first of a number of
cricketere to reepond, eaid he hoped Prince
Ranjitsinhji would never give up ercket. Like
himself, Ranji was not so thin as he used to
be---(laughtar}—but be ventured to say that he
would never love his form with the bat, and he
wae sure none of them would ever live to pee
a hataman who would beat their noble friend.

Mr II. L. Simms replied on behalf of the
Sussex Club, and mentaoned that to foster the
guine in that county the Jam had promised the
inagnifcent subscription of £150 a year for
three years to help their nursery along. With
Ranji in their team, Suseex were practically
unbeatable. The secret of Ranpi’s succes was
that he had a heart double the size of other
men's, (Hear, hear, and laughter.) Sussax
wished him bon voyage and a speedy return.
_Mr C. B. Fry said he had seen their die
tmmguished guest make many hundreds and one
or two ducks, but he had never come across
anybody who could make a dack with such con-
summate cheerfulness. Never had he played
with a man who was so entirely self-forgetfual.

Mr A. C. MacLaren said that in Austraka
he had seen Princes Ranijitsinhji rise from a
bed of sickness on which he had laid far thme
weeks and make a score of 170. That, he con-
sidered, was the Jem Sahib’s best pesform-
aDLe.

Se

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* [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle|Back to Conan Doyle]]