ANZAC DAY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3062, 25 April 1917, Page 6

ANZAC DAY

v ' DEFENCE MINISTER'S, MESSAGE ■ , «'A UNITED PEOPLE, STRONGER ;•:/; BUT CHASTENED" Sir James 'Allen" Minister of, De■fonoe and-Acting-Prime Minister,' has ■-..-: issued the following Anzac Day mes- >■,;■■ sage. This message Las been transmitted to the High Commissioner to be ■-. ■ communicated to the soldiers in hospital, to General Godley, to be com- \ nramcatedl to the troops in Trance, . ■ ~;-, and to the Officer Commanding in Egypt '-.'.' " *o be conveyed to. the New Zealand troops with the army operating in : Palestine. . . " ' . The message. leads : . ."■■■'■■ "To;day is -the second anniversary; of .the historic landing on ~: (xallipoli, which will go down in '■;; iistory as one of the finest feats of ■daring in which British soldiers •'-' have been, engaged. We are proud ■-' ■.. ' .' to think that our New Zealand S. troops emerged from this ordeal : : A : proved and fit'to rank ar ongst ;■ ■.'-'/': " the bravest defenders of the Ihn-,:v-;:r '■' 3>ire. ~ "Since then much blood has been shed audi many homes have / been made desolate, but.it has not 'been in vain. We stand to-day a , ';'\ : united people, part of a united Em- ■ /.'■' ; pire, stronger than ever, but chas- ' ...'• ■*•. tened.by the sacrifices that have c , -been forced upon us.' Our troops /.,■/■,."•' are still fighting in the 'far-flung .•'! -line,' and they will continue to •'stand shoulder to shoulder with '•...' England and our Allies till an lion- ":]'- ': ourable and lasting peace has been '.""secured. ..■■■.. "Let us trust that the next time : ;■"■■ we celebrate Anzac Day it will be '■■■ :,..»-•■ in peace,*and that our soldiers will ."■■■".?r have- returned to us. Let us also ?■■■ •:•'._:: -hope -that when the clouds of war ~_ have rolled away its': lessons willf v . ; : not 'be.forgotten, and that we. ' : ;:., shall all realise that, if a country ■ ...'.' .is to be free its citizens must not only be prepared! to die for it in , .time of war, but to live for it in tjme of peace." . ■' LONDON •;■ •■}. y, ''. V'. ■ '. ■ London, April 23. ," 'Australian chaplains,' in conjunction .s„' with the Bishop of Willesden, will hold ; ", 'si' memorial service at the War Chest ':-,;>.Club on Anzac l Day. There will also >-/ a service at''Westminster Catholic -Cathedral. There'will be a matinee at s ..' the Prince's Theatre, and a concert in :. '!: the evening by British artists.—Aus.- ,','., N.Z.' Cable,Assn. ; '~J : yr ANZAC REUNION. -

The Anzac dinner and reunion to he held at the Town Hall this evening is . bein§ carried out by returned soldiers, .and, is for returned soldiers only. Very 'complete arrangements have been nade, , and a very enjoyable reunion is ai.tici- . ■ pated. '■'.■• .;'

In another column His 1 Worship the ... Mayor j(Mr. John P Luke)' invites the citizens to observe a half-holiday to;:day, in celebration of Anzac Day. It ,' is hoped that the holiday will be generally observed to commemorate the part ■'..' -taken by New Zealand in the Galhpoli xampaign. Attention is also drawn to iv-f.the memorial service to be held in the *'Town Hall this afternoon to the mem- ■'; ory of the brave soldiers who fell. at ' Gallipoli,