CALL FOR SACRIFICE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 218, 3 June 1918, Page 6

CALL FOR SACRIFICE

EMPIRE SUNDAY SERVICE AT THE TOWN HALL A STIRRING ADDRESS

The Town Hall held an audience of about 2500 people yeoteiday atterncon, when a special Empire Sunday service i was held under the auspices of the Wel- | ling-ton Patriotic Society. All classes of 'he civil, military, and naval community in Wellington were represented, mf.luding members of the Naval unit in Wellington, representatives of the Headquarters Staff, returned soldiers, Veteri'ns' Association, and ambulance nurses. On the platform were Justices Chapman and Hosking, Sir William Eraser end Miss Eraser, Lady Stout, the Mayor 'Mr. J. P. Luke, C.M.G.) and other representative poopie. The service, which was conducted by Lieutenant-Colonel • .'Chaplain) D. C. Bates, was opened with Ihe singing of the National Anthem (accompanied by the Society's Band, conducted by Mr. W. Juppj. The hymn "Oh, God of Love and Peace" was sung, and was followed by a player offered by Mr. M. W. P. Lascelles (a Y.M.C.A. Coinjuissiorier just returned from the front). 'Hie prayer, which supplicated particu'arly for Divine, aid toi the- British Navy, was followed by the hymn "Eternal Father Strong to Save." Then followed the reading of the lesson by Mr. Lascelles, who selected (iie very beautiful forty-sixth psalm, which commences "God is our hope and strength; a very , .resent help in trouble." The Bible from which Mr. Lasctlles read the psalm vas the one he had with him when the '•hip he was travelling in was torpedoed in tho Mediterranean Sea with the loss of 700 lives. Then followed the singing of that ringing martial hymn "Onward Christian Soldiers" , (Sir Arthur Sulli«an),'during the singing of which a collection was taken up by nurses of the St. John Ambulance Brigade in aid of tho dependants of the sailors who suffered_ in the Zeebrugge ana Ostend naval •aids. The collection yielded the sum of c£37 lis. Bd.

_ Lieutenant-Colonel Bates then introduced Major 'i'ayior, chaplain at present at Trentham Camp, who has seen and •'.wen in closest touch with the British urins on the Western front for two jcars. Colonel Bates said that within 'no hist week Major Taylor had been of;'ered "a very good thing," but had turuir it down in order to be with £iio boys in camp. Major Taylor gripped and held the nttention of the audience. Ho said that he only wished -to uave a little talk on the broad principles of Empire, but before he was through it was plain that he had a message, and ho delivered it "like the blast of a bugle." The greatest axiom— the basic axiom—he knew was that any great achievement ever consummated, any great accomplishment ever recorded, has been .so accomplished.throiigh the refining fire of sacrifice,/and the meltingpot of suffering. If they would go back in imagination and think of the lives of those who had made great discoveries in the world they would find that on a voyage of discovery those men lost their lives. Life was nothing unless they were living as they ought to live. The establishment and spread of Christianity was wrought through a. world of suffering and sacrifice, and if they cared to look back into the annals of the British Empire they would find that the Empire had not attained its place in the world without sacrifice aud suffering. He took it— and ho trusted there were no conscientious objectors present—that everyone present was proud to bo a Britisher,, a citizen of that Empire on which tile sun never sets. If they felt a prido in singing the National Anthem and other national songs they should remember that they owed all their possessions—all they have 1 aud are—to their ancestors, who had won great fame and honour, invariably dying in the nation's cause. He could recall the great historic names to prove his i contention—Brake, Frobisher, Gronville, Raleigh, Nelson, Wellington, and Cap-1 tain Cook. . •. . And then there were the unknown me'n of the Navy who wont to their death at Zeebruggo and Osteiid. Thank God, tbey still hail men who regarded life as nothing compared with their duty to their country! (Applause.) There was no hope for (hose men—no hope. They threw in their lives for the Empire. Theirs was not tho heat of the battle, a stray shell,.or the hail of tho machine-guns. Those men knew they were going in to dio, and would probably .never got back.

The Great Unnamed. . Major Taylor supposed that some of the names of the greatest men wko had served England would never be known— plain seamen without u star and without a stripe—possibly "hard nuts" at one tiui-3. Hue he could see the Royal Nuvy calling fur 500 men to throw tnoir lives away, and he could guarantee tnat SUUO offered. (Applause.) i'ne .Umpire was a collection or individual, citizens iu tho hearts of which wero embedded the foundation of greatness,—justice, truth, liberty, and sacrifice—tnoso were the corner stones of tlie iiritisli nation. Mo was not going into details about each. Those present knew quite well what was meant, and if tney did not they ought to. On the other side btopii injustice, deceit, slavery, and self-pleasure, tne very antithesis of all the Empire stood lor. Occasionally lie heard reierence to ' the effect that tiungs JookeU very blade for us. Me did not ewe it they did. Tney were never so strong as mien they had their backs against the wall. Me refused to believe Uiat injustice, deceit, and bondage would or couid win. What- was the invasion ol Belgium but a great injustice—a huge lie! It was not an upstanding struggle between nations, but the old eternal struggle between justice, liberty, and truth against deceit and slavery. It was impossible for us to lay down arms. If tffe war wero prolonged it was because we had to'light to the end tor all the nation stood lor, and its call to them now was for sacrifice. He was not used to talking to such audiences; he would rather talk to soldiers than to those presenl, but he would not be satisfied until every man and woman was a soldier at heart. He would like tnem fed on army rations. (Laughter.) They were all right—he lived on them. (More laughter.) He would like them to have to ask for leave to come to the Town Hall; he would 111.them to have to 30 to bed at 9.30 p.m., and shot out at 6 in the morning, if not, out on tho mat. (Laughter.) He wanted them all to be soldiers at heart.It was not enough to put your sixpence in the plate, to cheer the departing soldiers, nor was welcoming leturned soldiers enough—they had to be soldiers at heart. He had heard someone say the other day that he thought New' Zealand had sent sufficient men away. He (the speaker) said that New Zcalam would never have sent sufficient men until tho war was won. (Applause.) He was calling for sacrifice—not half-pie sacrifice. They were up against the biggest thing in the world, and it was only by sacrifice could they, overcome it. Mr. Bates was right when he had said that during tho week he had to withstand' the biggest temptation in his life—a parish had been offered hiin. He wanted to see more real self-denial. He came to town to see great able-bodied men riding a penny section. Why did they not wall: and save the money—he would have everyone fed on army rations; in short, ho would have them live with the men in the front line in sympathy, prayer, and thought—to live right with them. He would have all foster the determination to win at any price, and to l>e cheerful in order to help others to carry their burdens. People talked of reversals—there could never be a reversal until their hearts were reversed. They need not pretend that they were winning nil along the line, still they could keep cheerful in the British way. He did not mean keeping cheerful bv go--1 ing to the picture shows. H> ''•■■' >!ot been to a victim s'iiow for four

venrs, and he was a fairly cheerful soul. jT.,.>"MnO Tlvi'e »■:>-• ■• '<'•'■ Mid about various sorts of enlprlainme'its lipinor necessary to keep people cheerful. That lias a lot of rot. Tf Miry wished to be happy, ba true to themselves. (Applause.) It was, of course, quite impossible lo 'all upon every man to make the samo • ac.rifiee, but they could at least make valuable sacrifices if they could not (hare the privations of those on active

service. Before nil, lie adjured them' :'ll to kill "tlii.- suicidal pessimism." He did not like it. One man bad said to him that they would seen be calling up the men with eight children Well, If they had to, he did not caro a bit— they had to win the war.

A Picture. Finally, ho would give thorn a picture lo carry away with them. . . . "It is a night attack. Every ,boy in the front ! ne has a rifle in his hand with a baycuet stuck in it. They are waiting the 'ignal to attack. There is a little joking. . . . Bill asks Jim how his girl is, and Jim asks Bill hov many girls ho is writing to. . . . Jack asks .Too how many biscuits ho has, ior they might j,et nothing else for three days ... If '.on want to see supremo indifference to dying, get in the front line I . . The signal comes, and they go out. to do or die. The idea that there are no reinforcements is impossible—they know that if it is "West" with them others v.ill carry on and win the war. (Aprliiuse.) The men of the Zeebrugge and 'Jstend raids—what must have been their thoughts of then' wives and youngtiers. I wonder! The men were simply doing their duty—and doing the greatest thing in life by losing that life. A treat thought—not mine. Those men at Zeebruggo knew it! And ask yourselves personally—'Can I do likewise in 'vow Zealand?' Are you doing less than \our men? I can see you rising indignantly in a bodv and saying-'Wo von't b'e less!' By thinking and nct;ng so shall you .maintain your Empire!" (Applause.) The service closed with the singing of the hvmn, "Nearer My God to Thee," followed by the pronouncement of the Benediction and the sounding of the "Last Pest."

Cabinet Ministers' Sentiments. In connection with the above service the Hon. T. M. Wilford telegraphed:"I very much regret that I find to-night I shall not be able to be with you tomorrow. The cause you are standing for is-worthy of every effort. I will send my donation. Nothing your society can say or do will every typify the lasting memory of the Zeebrugge and Ostend triumph. Germany knows, as we know, that the British Navy stands to-day stronger than ever it was, a bar to the victory of our enemies. With the mercantile marine strangled and the fleet impotent except for sporadic attacks with all the U-boat {rightfulness handled as onlv the British Navy can, Germany hears, knows, and dreads the final result. I have faith that the world will yet be made safe for democracy by the help of America, which, it will be found, cannot only shout, but shoot." The lion. Arthur Myers telegraphed :— "Much regret that absenco in Auckland prevents my attendance ... I desire to join you in offering tribute to the. memory "of the fearless heroes who fell in the recent naval operations at Zeebruggo- and Ostend. 1 am proud that those actions were so successfully carried out and that the submarine bases were so effectively blocked. For each life gallantly laid down in these naval raids it is probable that hundreds will be saved in future by L'-boats having been rendered partially inoperative. These particular actions "on the part of our ever-watchful British fleet have contributed m no small measure to ultimate and complete victory and the. establishment of a, glorious and lasting peaco on the Allies' terms."