The War Memorial

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16881, 8 July 1920, Page 6

The War Memorial

( 'I he week's campaign to raise funds for the Christchurch War Memorial be- ■ gins next Monday. It should need no words of ours to commend to the sympathetic generosity of the Christchurch public the appeal, published in another column, from the chairman and the honorary organiser of the Executive Committee. In all the prolonged discussions as to the form that the Memorial should take, has never been the faintest suggestion that the erection of a memorial of - some kind to the heroism of our soldiers was not a solemn obligation on the community; and now that the wishes of practically everybody have been met by the decision that the Memorial shall consist of both a Bridge of Remembrance and a Column, no one has the shadow of an excuse for neglecting to subscribe to the fund that wjll provide both. Tho movement has undoubtedly suffered to some extent by tho delay that has occurred in placing it onadefinito footing, and to this cause mnst bo attributed tho apparently languid interest with which it has been regarded by the majority of people of late. If a fund for a War Memorial had been opened within a week or two of the armistice the sum that is now required would havo been subscribed in a few days. The passage of time has not lessened by one iota the debt of gratitude- which this community owes to the men who fought for it, nor subtracted anything from the obligation to commemorate, for future generations, their services and their sacrifices. That debt and that obligation can, indeed, nevej; be wiped out; but we can at least commemorate fitly tho part that Christchurch. men played in tho Great War. We trust sincerely, therefore, that next week's effort will place in tho hands of the committee the funds necessary for the purpose. The money, as explained at Tuesday's meeting, is to be raised by voluntary subscriptions, " stimulated by a personal canvass." We agree with Mr Carey that, in such a task, it is better to have only voluntary helpers, and not any assigned to the worl: by direction of their employers, but. there is no reason why tho staffs of large retail, mercantile, | and manufacturing firms should not , depute one or two of their number to i canvass their fellow-workers. The J committee need all tho help they can ] be given, and we hope assistance will ** bo forthcoming to make their duty as light as possible, and as successful as c it deserves to# be. j