ANNIVERSARY OF COMMENCEMENT OF WAR.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8208, 4 August 1915, Page 4

ANNIVERSARY OF COMMENCEMENT OF WAR.

WORLD-WIDE COMMEMORATION

la his' memorable speech at the Guildhall (London) in May last the Prime Minister of England (the ■ lit. Hon. H. H. Asquith) stated that "Little did our enemy understand or realise "when he wantonly opened the gates of war 'what forces he was unchaining in every quarter of the globe where the English language was spoken and where the free traditions of our race have entered into the life-blood of the people." Subsequent events have proved, that Mr .Asqnith accu-rately-sized lip the ternpera-Mpnt- of the British people when "he m"acle that statement.

It is exactly a year "to-day since Great Britain declared an aggressive war against .Germany, and, although the announcement of the commencement of. hostilities found us partially unprepared, the. forces of the Empire'■'on ■whjch the' sun never, sets "■ have gathered to iihemselves an increasing momentu m, and have for 12 month s launched-and carried on an honourable warfare against an unscrupulous foe. It is a momentous indication of the greatness of the British nation to know that in every city and town in the British Isles," in the Dominions in the Southern Seas, and in Crown; dependencies in every ocean, meetings are to-day being held pledging British people to use all their mdonvours —• spiritual, physical, and-moral —to bring the war to a successful conclusion with peaco and honour to Britain and her Allies, and to crush "tho enemy who has violated every law of God and man.