CITY'S HOMAGE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 88, 14 April 1945, Page 7

CITY'S HOMAGE

PERIOD OF SILENCE CHURCH ARRANGEMENTS A two minutes' silence will be observed at 11 o'clock on Monday morning as a tribute by the people to the memory of the late Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United aStates of America. A gun will be fired from Albert Park at the commencement and at the conclusion of the period of silence. Memorial services will be held in most of the city and suburban churches to-morrow, or in their place special references will be made to the life and work of Mr. Roosevelt. Bishop Simkin, at the request of Archbishop West-Watson, has asked all Anglican churches in his diocese to hold memorial services. The official diocesan service, to which local body representatives have been invited, will be held in St. Mary's Cathedral at 11 a.m. The preacher will be Dean Fancourt. Bishop Simkin will take a broadcast service at All Saints' Church, Ponsonby. Reference to the death of \ the President will be made at all Roman Catholic churches, but there will be no special services. Presbyterian churches will make their own individual arrangements. Memorial services will be held by the Methodist Church and a similar service will be held at the Baptist Tabernacle Special services will be held at all Baptist churches. The president of the New Zealand Baptist Union, Mr. Ernest Nees, of Wellington will pay a tribute at a service in the Mount Eden Baptist Church. Commissioner J. Evan-Smith, of the Salvation Army, has instructed all Salvation Army Corps to hold special remembrance services in honour of the late President Roosevelt on Sunday night.

Prayers for the late President were opened in the Synagogue this morning and a Special memorial service was given by the Rabbi, the Rev. A. Astor.

The Jewish people of America, in Palestine and in the rest of the world would have special cause to mourn Mr. Roosevelt's loss, said Rabbi Astor, for he was a true friend of, and a sincere sympathiser with, the Jewish people. A champion of all minorities, no one felt more deeply than he the outrage of the Nazi assault on humanity and no one gave nobler utterance to the horror of the planned continuous slaughter of the Jewish populations on the Continent.

"He showed a very definite and complete understanding of Jewish hopes and aspirations in Palestine, said Rabbi Astor. "Only a few days ago he sent a stirring message to an assembly of thousands of Zionists in which he reiterated his policy regarding the opening oi Palestine to unrestricted Jewish immigration and the policy that would result in the establishment of a free and democratic Jewish Commonwealth.