ARMISTICE DAY

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21319, 12 November 1934, Page 12

ARMISTICE DAY

—« Commemoration Of The Fallen SERVICES AT CATHEDRAL AND CITY CHURCHES

Armistice Day, a day of commemoration almost world-wide, of the sacrifices made during the Great War by the men and women of all the nations v/hich took part in that struggle, was observed yesterday for the sixteenth time since the cessation of hostilities at 11 o'clock on the morning of November 11, 1918. Many wars have been remembered in many nations, on days set apart for national thanksgiving or mourning, but the Great War is unique in that it impelled at least some of the nations which for four years were ranged in conflict in France and in the east, to set aside a day for the thankful remembrance of a common deliverance, for commemoration of those on either side who gave life and service, and to remind succeeding generations of the price at which peace was bought. Falling this year on a Sunday, Armistice Day was observed principally in its religious aspect. Churches of all denominations throughout the city modified their services to suit the day, and appropriate addresses were given. The central service of commemoration, held in the Cathedral, was attended by his Excellency the GovernorGeneral, Lord Bledisloe, and Lady Bledisloe. At this service there was a parade of former-service men and women, which left Gloucester street, outside the Returned Soldiers' Association's rooms at 10.30, and proceeded to the Cathedral, via Gloucester street and Cathedral square. Other parades of returned soldiers were to the Woolston Methodist Church and to St. Matthew's Church, St. Albans. At 10.45, a special Armistice Day service was held in the Jewish Synagogue

At the Cathedral The service at the Cathedral opened with the singing of the first verse of the National Anthem. Just before 11 o'clock a single note was sounded by buglers from the West Christchurch District High School, marking the beginning of the two minutes 'silence. At the end of the silence the buglers sounded "Last Post" and "Reveille." Within the thick walls of the Cathedral, where the normal Sunday silence of the city is intensified, the observance took on a deeper solemnity than is possible in other surroundings. The congregation stood with scarcely a movement, concentrated on the meaning of its act of commemoration. Choral Matins followed, during which the choir sang the anthem, "God is our hope and strength" (Bach). The Scripture lessons were read by Lord Bledisloe, and the preacher was the Very Rev. Dean J. A. Julius. New Zealand and Australia had in common two days of commemoration, said Dean Julius. These were Anzac Day and Armistice Day. As days of commemoration it was impossible to say how long either would last; but it was now 16 years bince the first Armistice Day, and in most cases it was not necessary to say, "We will remember them," since it was true that "We do remember them." But what about the generation to come? A schoolboy 100 years hence might well be imagined confusing the Great War with the Napoleonic Wars in his history studies. To those of the present generation such days were primarily lor the commemoration of those who fell in the war, but they could not have this significance to after generations. Anzac Day would remain as marking the "coming-of-age" of New Zealand and Australia, the stage at which they proved their manhood. 3ut would Armistice Day remain? "The observance of Armistice Day is not confined to the commemoration of our own brothers and son:;," said Dean Julius. "It is a commemoration of the Germans who fell in *he war, and of the Turks, as well as of the French, Italians, and English The width of that commemoration makes one believe that the obsei-vance of Armistice Day will continue. It calls from the hearts of men an earnest, longing for the ending of that pvil which we call war, which has dotted with graves of men evry country which it has touched." If Armistice Day did not remain as a day when the peode of the world consecrated themselves to the work of preserving peace it could not survive.

Peace of the World Those who died in the war, the Dean said, demanded revenge on that evil which had taken the finest part of one generation and consigned It to death on the battlefield. Surely we ought to feel that call. At no time during the last 16 years had it seemed more likely than at present that those men would have fouaht and died in vain. It had been stated in England recently that there v/ero nov/ greater dangers to the peace of th° world than had ever existed before. Why should there be these dangers? The majority of men wanted peace, since they were not fools. They knew too well the results and the cost of war.

Although to a certain extent cut off from the rest of the world, neonle In New Zealand had at l°ast some nnnorturitv of learning about conations overseas. There could be seen existing m some countries a narrow Jng nationalism, such counties looking on the rest of fh° world m°rf>lv as the minister to their own glorv. These countries were a menace to peace, piling ur> armaments e'ther ooenly or secretly and comnelUng other nations w..0 wished onlv for peace in whirh to serv n the world, to arm in self-defence. There too. a widesnread snsnicion .nnrl distrust among the nations, and they were coming to a state wh»re zttemnU to attain mutual trust and understanding were regarded as a waste of time.

Influence of Religion There was. however, another side, the Dean continued. If the forces against peace were mighty, so were the forces favouring peace, and the first of these was religion. There was a great deal more religion in the hearts and minds of peoDle than most of the clergy realised. War could only be fought on the basis of a belief that God is our Father, and that in Him all men are brothers. War had to be considered as an outrage against the doctrine of the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of men, and the estimation of the evils of war had to be placed on a Christian basis. The attempt, through the League of Nations, to impose a standard of justice on international dispute, was an important factor in th° of peace. Th« doetvino of "an eve for an eye and a tooth for a too^h" though it did not rp"ch the Chri«:ti?>n id»al nt least renren-nt°d r>n *nt advance in moral stewards.' pnd w*« a «fc**"Mnß stone to the teaching Of Jesus Christ. ~w„ ~ t0 belleve tn God and we 2££i.;2J? cU S?? , ln man -" Dean Julius concluded. "Unless you believe in > »«ni VA in the real goodness ol men's ***n«. you will never produce anv. £*?£ ft th v e but Wnw M in the heart of man a real desire for peace. Those who feU call us bl the sacrifice they made to tak£ up fhe cause for which they died."