TO THOSE WHO DIED

MEMORIAL DEDICATION

HANDED OVER TO CITY

IMPRESSIVE CEREMONY

The solemn and dignified ceremony bf the dedication and handing over to the city of the Wellington" Citizens' .War: Memorial was carried out yesterday afternoon in the presence of a great gathering of people, the great majority of •whom felt, in the dedication a keen personal interest, for few there are who do not lemembe-r, happily- less keenly to-day, the loss of some one, or more, near in blood or friendship. Even more impressive than the cereniony itself was the hushed attention given by the thousands grouped about the memorial, in Parliament Building grounds and in the streets beyond. . The crowd wa3 so large that comparatively few would have heard the addresses but for the system of loud speakers, which carried the message to all. '■ * : \ A large area of Lambton quay, from .'Bowen House corner to Bunny street and part' of Bowen street was roped off for'the parade"of military and naval forces, returned men, and bands. :This official gathering was fully representative, for in addition to a big muster of Wellington returned soldiera there we're parades of men who served in the Imperial and Australian forces, of men who. left for the front from other parts of -the Dominion, ac very large muster of South African veterans, re- . turned nurses,- and Legion of Frontiersmen. In a place of honour, just below the "steps to the memorial, were disabled soldiers and their friends and nurses, and in a. large block were 600 nextTof-kia. .The rweather was calm and beautiful^, in", /full-harmony; with the ceremony.:.- ....'.■ '•- - ,: From/I - o'clock' a special military guard from: Trentham,- steel-helmeted' and steady, manned the four sentry posts at the memorial till just before the arrival of .Their^ Excellencies, Lord and.Lady Bledisloe.' In "the meantime ■the guard of honour,, from the Ist Battalion] :Wellington Begimentj had. formed up ia. the open ;space,Jn front of Government Buildings, . with behind them the Territorial, Naval, and Cadet forces,' and a little further down Lambton quay were the parade of returned men under their old officers. All told the parade numbered 3000 officers and men. The plans were well laid and were admirably-carried out in every detail under -the direction of Captain H. T. Marshall, director of ceremonies. Their -Excellencies, arrived at, 2.30 p.m. Lord Bledisloe was met by MajorGeneral -W.- L; H. Sinclair-Burgess, 0.8., 0.M.G., D.5.0., and Lady Bledisloe by the Mayoress, Mrs.' Hislop. Then followed the Boyal Salute and the formal inspection by His Excellency, of the guard of honour, after which Lord Bledisloe was metr by the:. Mayor (Mr. % O. A, Hislop) and the chairman of , the Wellington War Memorial Committee, Colonel' G. T. Hall, C.M.G., Q3.E, MX, and official wreaths were laid at the foot of the memorial. Among the names they bore were those of the New Zealand Military Forces, the New Zealand Squadron, the Eoyal Naval Volunteer Beservo, the. New Zealand -Air Force,-/the -Returned Sol-diers-Association, the Navy: League the : N.Z.A r NJ3., the ; -New. Zealand Government, the^Mayor and Councillors of Wellington, ;the" Victoria -League, the Women's National .' Reserve, and the Australian Society. , ..'■'.'. A choir of 100 voices, under the baton b£ Mr. .H. Temple White, and a great section of. the. pub.lie then sang the lynm, «AU People. That on .'Earth do JJwell," followed by the reading of the 46th Psalm by the Bey. H. J. Odell andjthe Lord's Prayer, led by .Brigadier JJ. macauley. '. ■ v --r .GOVEBNOErGENEBAL'S ADDRESS, The first speaker was the GoverndrGeneral, who .delivered a striking address. ,_.:.,: ._...'. - •■■■ "This ■well-designed, and skilfully texeeute'd monument has been erected to perpetuate the honoured memory of those 1309 young citizens of Wellington and its suburbs who lost their lives in the Great War,'' said His Excellency. "Its architects and sculptor —all of them Ne"w Zealanders—with rare inspiration and harmony of conception have sought to symbolise in one : noble structure . a great ideal of international goodwill rising erect from-a solid basis of heroism, and sacrifice and culminating in an unflinching; and:itnperish2ble Will to Peace. In addition to many war-time scene's figuratively portrayed on— its ingeniously carved panels, the sacrifice of the women—the, .incomparable women of New Zealaud—is toucMngly-"symbolised By-the ancient Bosicrucian emblem of ithejpelican sacrificing" her life blood to feed::fier children; - "The, -war-time .virtues r which;this/; stately, memorial would .'appear specially to exemplify are Bobleiaspirations, selfless devotion to 'duty, and.dogged steadfastness in face of national, peril,,-. Most skilfully have the designers, ;and the craftsmen who have: so faithfully , interpreted their ideas, carried out their loftily conceived "task. Posterity will recognise their genius and thoroughness. v THEIR SPLENDID EXAMPLE. **This afternoon we.are met to witness the dedication of this memorial and its formal transfer to the city authorities. Personally, I lay no claim to participate in " this ceremony, except as being for a brief period a citizen, like yourselves, of no mean city—a city of striking natural beauty and of .loyal patriotic - inhabitants, which contributed its full quota of young, buoyant, courageous manhood to the greatest; struggle for the maintenance of freedom and civilisation that the world has ever witnessed. Wellington—and not only their bereaved relations (who once more have the assurance of our friendly sympathy)—is the poorer for their death. Their energy, their public spirit, their -sense of discipline, their high ideals, and their sportsmanship would have proved invaluable assets in maintaining, and developing the progress in all its aspects of New Zealand's capital"city," which owes its name to one of Britain's greatest military commanders. But if the city is impoverished by.iheir death, let us see to it .that it is enriched by their example. For the qualities which enabled them and thousands of others like them from every'part of our farrflung Empire to ■win • the war. are the very qualities •which are needed to^riay among all classes of our citizens to' win the Peace —a. victory which still awaits achievement. .. . ' " • ' THE VICTORY TO BE WON. - "It is.difficult to be patient, brave, 'self-restrained, and keenly alive to our patriotic duty, when the shells of economic misfortune and impoverishment are bursting over- our heads and the poison gas... of. disruptive influences is theratening to blurr our vision and distort our judgment," said His Excellency. ''but if we are to do justice to the memory of those whom this noble monument, commemorates, if out of their death new life and vigour are to be. imparted to our' civic structure, these war-time virtues must be exercised and all selfish and unpatriotic aims' rigidly suppressed. "In the midst of lifo we are in

death, but bo it always remembered that, as in the case of the individual the purest and most perfect life is the outcome of. death, so the vital spark of every civilised community has ever burnt brightest in periods of misfortune, and by calling forth all that is bravest and best in human nature has opened up a new era of national and civic well-being, God grant that this may be the outcome of our. present temporary distresses, and may set the seal which these brave men would most havo wished upon the sacrifice which they made for the, betterment of humanity, and the country and Empire that they loved."

A prayer was offered by the Eight Rev. the Bishop of Wellington, Bishop Sprott, who then formally unveiled the door, which had been draped with the Union Jack.