THANKSGIVING DAY

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 56, 29 November 1929, Page 2

THANKSGIVING DAY

ENGLISH-SPEAKING UNION GATHERING The final social event to be held this year by the English Speaking Union was an at home at the Jacobean room at Kirkcaldie and Stains, Ltd., yesterday afternoon. The last Thursday of November in America is set aside as Thanksgiving Day and has been celebrated as such throughout the United States from the days of the pioneers right up to the present. “There is a turkey on practically every American table to-day,” the American Vice-Consul, Mr. Cockrane, said. The turkey in America has grown to be the symbol of thanksgiving. It was a happy throught of the members of the English Speaking Union' to entertain yesterday the Vice-Consul and other Americans at present in Wellington. There was a very large gathering of visitors who were received by the chairman of the hospitality committee,. Mrs., J. Bennie. The Hon. Sir William HallJones, who presided, expressed pleasure at the sight of so many people and among them an official representative of the great United States. They had gathered together to celebrate the Thanksgiving Day of the United States of America, a day which had been first celebrated over three hundred years ago. Now, when the population had increased so tremendously, it was a splendid thing to keep in memory the old days in the pioneer life of the United States. At the time when America first gained her independence, the population was only about three millions, but now there were 120 millions, and there had been 116 years of peace between Britain and America. Many people there belonged to the English Speaking Union, which had done much to strengthen the friendship between the two countries. They were working for the same object which was ably expressed in the creed of the English Speaking Union which Mrs. Bennie had read at the beginning of the afternoon. The object was the peace of the world. Ninety per cent, of the countries, said the speaker, wanted no more war. and he thought that if Britain and the United States worked together with no idea Of personal gain that would go a long way towards ensuring the peace of the world. Sir William HallJones said that he Would like to see the work of the union extended in this country and branches formed in other cities — at least in the four centres. He asked those who had friends in other cities to induce them to assist. It needed only a few leading men and women to give \t a good start, and he could predict a success similar to that achieved by the Wellington branch.

Three Hundred and Eight Years Ago. Mr. Cockrane then gave an appealing address, in which he outlined the history of Thanksgiving Day. The first successful American colony was established at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607, and later on, the Mayflower brought a handful Of pilgrims to Massachusetts, a barsh country then, a widerness infested with Indians. The lives of settlers were full of danger and many paintings of that period depicted people on their' way to church, each with a gun under his arm. The first winter was very severe, and many died from the hardships and exposure of pioneer life. But when the time came for the gathering of the first harvest conditions were better; the • first child had been born; the Indians had been satisfied with gifts, the harvest had been rich, so the Governor decreed that one day should be set aside for thanksgiving and the day decided upon was the last Thursday in November. Yesterday was the three hundred and eighth anniversary. The speaker mentioned, briefly, present reasons for gratitude among them —• the fruits of invention, the Kellogg Pact, the peace that was growing between Great Britain and the nations. It was now being realised that the prosperity of one country definitely involved all others —the trend was nnmistakeable. The world to-day was thinking peace and to think was to go a long way toward achievement. The speaker and his hearers had to be thankful also for the vision, faith and courage of Mr. Hoover and Mr. MacDonald, ami lastly that they themselves were able to do their part towards making the peace of the world. During the afternoon a programme of musical items was contributed to by the following Mrs. Spidy (songs), Miss Muriel Turner (pianoforte solos), Miss

Marjorie Bennie (songs), Mr. Herbert Wood (songs), Mr. Maunder (violin solos), Miss Spidy (pianoforte i >los). After tea had been served, Mr. A. L. Hunt proposed a hearty vote of thanks to those who had made it such a pleasant afternoon. Mr. Hunt spoke of the growth of the English Speaking Union. When the movement was first started, he said, it was not successful, nor even popular, but it had overcome many trials and they were living to see it grow into a popular World-wide movement. The afternoon ended with the singing of “The Star Spangled Banner” and the National Anthem.