"TO A VICTORIOUS END."

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 186, 6 August 1918, Page 6

"TO A VICTORIOUS END."

WAR ANNIVERSARY IN NEW ZEALAND. THE FEELING QV THE PEOPLE. '; The commemoration of the fourth anni-! versary of the declaration of war by Britain against Germany was marked ' last night by public meetings at various suburban .centres, at which the Empire resolution, expressing the fixed determination of the people to prosecute the war to a victorious end, was carried unanimously. j - At Mount Eden the meeting was held' in the Borough Council Chambers, and the resolution was put by the Mayor (Mr. C. Hudson), who pointed out that though the public generally looked to such events being celebrated en masse at the central meeting-places of the community as a whole, mc leaders of the country considered it important that each small centre of the population should be given an opportunity to ex-1 press its feeling separately. After having dwelt on the prospects for victory which marked the opening of the fifth year of war, Mr. Hudson put the motion, which was warmly seconded and en-| dorsed by Messrs. J. W. Shackelford and 0. Nicholson, and carried unanimously, ! The meeting at Newmarket was held* in the Public Hall, about seventy per-! sons being present. The Mayor (Mr. C.i Leek) presided, and proposed the resolu-1 tion, which was seconded by the Deputy-1 Mayor (Mr. S. Donaldson), and supported by Staff-Captain Dixon, Salvation Army chaplain, and Rev. J. Wrigloy. i The meeting was most enthusiastic, and the speakers were heartily applauded. The Mayor (Mr. J. B. Tonar) presided l at the public meting last evening at Northcote, when the Empire resolution was proposed by Mrs. M. Nicholson seconded by the Mayor, and carried unanimously, the meeting . closing with the National Anthem. The proceedings at Devonport were most impressive, the ceremony taking place in the open (in Marine" Parade). and opening by the Rarotongans singing a National Waiata, which was touch. ingly rendered to the delight of the audience. The gathering, which extended to both sides of the parade and for some considerable distance along it. included three platoons of Maoris and one each of Rarotongans and Garrison troops, while the Garrison Band discoursed m'arfial airs, in the unavoidable absence of the Mayor (Mr. J. Henderson) Councillor J. Woodall presided, and moved the resolution. Mr W. J. Napier seconded, and Mr. Whitj taker made a stirring speech in support. On the resolution being affirmed by acclamation cheers wore given for General Foch and Sir Douglas Haig. UNITED FOR VICTORY. . v .** BRITAIN'S HEROIC ALLIES. DINNER. TO CONSULAR . REPRESENTATIVES.

The fourth anniversary of Great Britain's entry into the war was celebrated at the Town Hall last evening by a dinner, tendered to the Consular; representatives of the Allied countries ' by the Mayor and councillors of the city in the Council committee room. The Mayor. (Mr. J. -H. Gunson) was supported on his right by Mr. A. A. Winslow, Consul-General for the United States of America, and on his left by M. Leon Hippeau, "Vice-Consul for France, the other Consuls present being Messrs. J. 11. Pagni, Consul for Italy, A. M. Ferguson, Consul for Belgium, David Nathan, jun., Consul for Portu-1 gal, and L. C. Bachclder, Vice-Consul-General for U.SA. Among the other guests present were Dr. Averill, Anglican Bishop of Auckland; Dr. Cleary, Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland; the Rev. C. H. Laws, Mr. W. A. Beddoe, Canadian Trade Commissioner; Major Sir Robert Walker, and Mr. Waddingham, president of the Returned Soldiers' Association. After dinner had been discussed? during which Eady's orchestra played a selection 'musical items, an adjournment was made to the Council Chamber, which had been prettily decorated for the occasion by bunting, and artistically arranged floral garniture. Here a brief toast-list was honoured, and a number of vocal items enjoyed by the company, the singers being Mr. Barry Coney and Mr. Ernest Drake, while Mr. Thomas Harris entertained the guests with elocutionary numbers.

THE LEAGUE OF FREEDOM. The Mayor, in proposing the toast of "The Allies of Great Britain," dealt categorically with the position and the service in the war of each nation. He said that the valiant French army, reinforced with the youths of France, supported by her womanhood in the field and in industrial and professional life, had maintained glorious traditions of the opening days of the war. In the closing month' of the fourth year, General Foch, with that same gallant army, had brought to bear his masterstroke, which had again driven the German hordes from the gates of Paris. We owed the French nation a debt which we could never repay, and the bonds of national endeavour and the ties of friendship would never be severed. It was France that saved Europe, saved Britain, saved the world from German domination. Heroic Belgium, with her Belgian soldiers still on Belgian soil, had played her part. We "honoured Belgium and her heroic spirit. Next came Italy, who had fought so valliantly, particularly in the recovery during the present year. That this war was not a defensive war on the part of Germany was best proved by the single fact that one ', of the nations pledged to support Germany had refused to do so. Russia had succumbed to enemy influences, but he believed that yet the best elements would rise and overthrow enemy domination. Portugal also had stood side by side with Britain from the outset of the war. The attitude of New Zealanders and others towards the United States was to some extent unfair and ill-in-formed during the first two years of the war; but the United States had had a very difficult role to play. They were a pacific nation, practically without an army, and totally unprepared for war. The present great American army would be the determining factor, and with the British and French armies would finally smash German savagery and aggression. Canada had to the present time sent i 390,000 troops to Europe. At the present rate of tho reinforcements of the United States to France, the army this time next year would total 4,500,000. li the Allies stood together nothing could disintegrate them, and Germany and Austria now realised that truth. i The handwriting was on the wall, and the Germans cbuld read now that they were "weighed in the balance and found j wanting." It would be a proud day for Britain and for her gallant allies when the peace treaty was signed, the terms of which would be so framed that, in tha !

words of the President of the United States, "the world would be a safe place to live in."

BRINGING THE HUN. TO NAUGHT. Mr. Winslow, in replying to the toast n behalf of the Allies, thanked .the favor and the representatives of Auckand's ' citizens for the warmth with rhich they had honoured the toast of 'The Allies." For four years, he said, ivilisation had paused while the world lad been subjected to a revival of the >arbarisin of the dark ages. The most irutal and ruthless foe the civilised vorld had ever known was let loose on ittle Belgium in 1914, and for four teriblc years the forces •of humanity had vaged a life and. death struggle with the snemy with varying fortune, till at last lad appeared what seemed in truth to be 'a silver lining," and hope was now itrongly shining through the dark clouds )f war. Belgium, France, Italy, and Serbia had suffered more than any of 'lie other Allied countries in this grim itruggle, for they had been more or less iverrun by the foe. The pendulum of nvosion had swung grievously across iome of the Allied countries, but the day *>f release was at hand, and he was glad to be able to say that "Uncle Sam," having entered the field, was proving his earnest intention of "doing, his bit.' : (Applause.) Before another spring came round America would have three million, of men 'in France —(renewed applause) — and together the nations, standing shoulder to shoulder for freedom and humanity, were slowly but surely bringing about the downfall of their common enemy. (Hear, hear.) As be saw it, the Central Powers -were beginning to crumble, and those who had studied the. history of the war during the past month or two could see the rapid unfolding of the great drama to its inevitable end, when the world would for all time be freed from the menace of armed tyranny and the ruthless and brutal trampling upon of national and individual rights. Every master-stroke of the Prussian war lords had been brought to naught, their hope in the submarine had returned to them in black despair, and their subordinate allien were even now on the brink of open disaffection— in short, the whole great, Teutonic alliance was drawing -perilously near to disintegration, and woe to the Kaiser and his friends when the final cataclysm overtook them. (Loud applause.) So far as the Pacific Ocean was concerned, he believed America would heartily endorse the British Dominions in declaring that Germany must in future be kept out of those waters, peopled as they were with nations belonging to the Entente. Germany . might be given some corner to develop, but that corner must be far away from the Pacific Ocean. (Laughter and applause.) Again, on behalf of his brother representatives and himself, he thanked the Mayor and representative? of Auckland for the cordiality of their good wishes, and could only add:. "The Allies are with Britain whole-heartedly, and whole-hearted 1 /' will remain with her, till the brutal Hun is driven back to Berlin or unconditionally surrenders." (Loud applause.) A very pleasant gathering ended with cheers for the Allies and the singing of "God Save the King."

At a public meeting held in Whangarei Town Hall Mr. J. S. Dent (Mayor) moved the resolution, which was seconded by Mr. R. Y. Kcarnohan (county councillor), in the unavoidable j absence of the county chairman through sickness, and was supported by the Rev. J. R. Clark. The resolution was carried unanimously. At Waihi resolutions were passed: (1) Deprecating the efforts of pacifists until victory is attained; and (2) expressing appreciation of the action of the Dominion representatives at the recent Im- . perial Conference to prevent the return i of Samoa and other colonies in thc| Pacific to Germany.