CELEBRATION OF DECLARATION DAY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8209, 5 August 1915, Page 4

CELEBRATION OF DECLARATION DAY.

THE SERVICE AT ST. PAU LS> SLMI'UCm: THE KEYNOTE. j DENSE CROWDS AT THE CATHEDRAL. A HCJTUrSHOP'S IMPRESSIVK SERMON. (Per Press Association—Copyright)',, (Received August 5, 8.50 a.m.) LOKDON, August 4.. Ihe keynote or the patriotic .service was simplicity. There was no procession. The King walked from the north. door, between the Bishop and the Dean, to his seal in the'eontro ot the transept. Queens Mary and Alexandra and the Princesses followed, then the rest of the clergy. , .

.The congregation included-the Grand •Duko MiehneJ, the Duchesses of Fife and Albany, Lord Kitchener, numerous Generals and oiiicors in kliaki, Ministers of the Crown, High Commissioners, Agents-General, and Sir R. Lv Bordcn. - Most of tho ladies wore dark drestes. A. touching sight was the numerous wounded men, some in blue hospital suits, others in khaki, and mostly with heads, arms, or legs bandaged, and with numerous nurses in attendance. ' • At the Cathedral thousands wero turned away. Queues were formed early in the morning. ■ The Archbishop' of Canterbury took as his text Corinthians xvi., 13th. vorse: "Watch ye; stand fast in tbo faith; quit you like- men; be strong." He said: "To the men and women of the Empire has come tho trust of bearing a part in a conflict on an absolutely gigantic scale. Every month adefe proof that we judged right a year ago .when, after exhausting every effort we could honourably make to avert a oon.flict, Are unsheathed the sword in a cause which we can wi£h a clear conscience commend to-God. It remains for us to put into the furtherance of rightevery ounce of .strength and what harder perseverance wo can muster to?" suitain. The world's wellbeing in the centuries unborn may turn upon our right use of this momentous and 'decisive hour."

He exhoiLed the nation to hold and use what manhood stands for, and said that the women of the Empue werecontiibutiug a scimco which manhood cannot nval.

" AVo acclaim vilh giatefui ronfidoni c and high hope the buoyant gallant,]\ of those whom wo should li? c called quite ordinary men, who parsed sti .light fiom the piosaic- paths ot common life to man, with dauntlcsh (ouiage, an \Egean piecipice 01 shellswtpt lieneh, ofleung their lives with simplicity o\en gladness, foi their county's cause "

* TV Archbishop quoted fiorn John ■m , 13'—"Gioatoi ]oao hath no man than this*, that a man laj down Ins lire Jor Jus fuends " Continuing he said: "A jeai hd& gone sinto we set our hands to this ieaiful task. We have learned much We ha\c given 0111 voiy best and" biavest, and, befoie God, wo believe it wolth while Wo now 1 ealise bettei than wo did last August our country's rlaim on ns all, and, please God, nft man 01 woman here is going to leave it unanswered 01 unfulfilled." The enoimous crowds acclaimed the King and othei 10} al personages as the\ left the Cathcdial, and chooied the wounded men iii motors,"especially the Australians, Zealanders, and •, Canadians.