WELCOME HOME.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 65, 17 March 1919, Page 4

WELCOME HOME.

It has been said that the unpardonable sin is ingratitude. Whether pardonable or not. the opportunities for falling

into it an- more numerous than ever before to-day, when one-half of the world has, at terrible cost, saved the other half from the worst of fates. Experience show s that even the greatest of obligations may be. forgotten, and that is a sin of the soul which we sur-

vivors must on no account commit. These obligations are brought visibly before us to-day by the return of the. Hororata's draft, the first contingent of fit men to reach Xew Zealand from the battlefields of Europe. These men, who include veterans of the early days of the war, link us directly with the glorious end of the struggle in which our division played a leading and

very distinguished part. What we owe to them and their comrades can-

not be put into words, li is never easy to express gratitude at once adequately and gracefully; leaving the graces out of consideration altogether, it is quite impossible to do justice in words to our debt to these sons and brothers of ours who have fought such a good tight for all the things worth fighting for. Their name will live for ever, and nothing that could be eaid would add to its glory. But we can all add to the joy of these men's home-coming by showing them with simple and sincere enthusiasm that we are most glad to see them, and that we acknowledge our debt. They are very welcome indeed; no men could be more so. But they should bear in mind that the flags and cheers arc only outward and visible signs of inward feelings that are too deep for either words or demonstration.