R.S.A. CHURCH PARADE

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 178, 26 April 1938, Page 13

R.S.A. CHURCH PARADE

Service At Kent Terrace

STRONG BRITAIN THE BEST GUARANTEE OF PEACE “The root cause of war is not to be found merely in economic, religious, or cultural disagreements, but in patriotic passion bred in sovereign powers by a sense of injustice in conditions which afford these powers no hope of securing justice save by .war,” said the Rev. AV. Gilmour, speaking on the text, “They were a wall unto us both by night and day (I Samuel, 15:16), at the annual Anzac Day parade of members of the Returned Soldiers’ Association, in Kent Terrace Presbyterian Church, on Sunday. Brigadier A. Greene, M.C., and the president of the Wellington branch of the Returned Soldiers’ Association, Lieutenant-Colonel A. Cowles, V.D., read the lessons, and the Returned Soldiers’ Association quartet sang “Requiem.” The church was filled. No one who took part in the war could ever forget the day he left to go back home, said Mr. Gilmour. And most of them vowed that once back home they would never leave it again. “But we thought of the lads who were not coming home, lads we had seen buried in grey army blankets on the hillsides that were disappearing from our view—lads sleeping on the battlefields pock-marked with craters, bedewed with blood, and tinged with T.N.T. But these men are not the dead; they are the living, the immortals. They have been woven into the texture of our national life and live — our richest possession. “Once -again it is Anzac Day, and our thoughts go out to those brave men who never heard the cheers of victory, but who died amid the glory and the horror of war. To-day we honour them. We give them the centre of the stage. And we express publicly our gratitude for their fine courage, endurance and loyalty. Nor should *we forget that there are others among us who never paid the supreme sacrifice in the war, but who made great sacrifices in it nevertheless, and who are to-day suffering many disabilities because of it. This Anzac occasion gives us an opportunity of remembering in all sorts of practical and helpful ways things like these that it is easy to forget. . . . Our Lord and Master once said, ‘Whoso loseth his life for My sake shall find it.’ And we believe that St. Paul’s confession, ‘I live, yet not I but Christ llveth in me,’ is an experience within reach of all of us. “Dream of World Peace.” “We have now a dream of world peace. For that peace millions died. They were told that their dying would expedite their dream. The ideal of peace for which the flower of our land died, is not lost. There are more pledged to peace to-day than ever before. That dream marks the next stage of humanity’s pilgrimage. That dream is our challenge. “We have still a long way to go to get the peace for which our comrades died,” he added, “but men of a pioneer race who have hewn this country from its rough mould into a great Dominion know that resolution for determination, rather than an unthinking optimism, is the sure and ardent road that takes us over the mountains of this world’s hazards into the valley of final triumph. “A strong Britain is the best guarantee of world peace. She is rearming to-day, and there are those who condemn her for doing so, but they do not know the logic of events. In 191 S the British people had seen enough of war. Britain’s motive was to keep out of war and the Government cut naval and military budgets down to the limit. The Government drifted along trusting the League of Nations to maintain world peace. It was hoped that other countries would follow Britain’s example. But it had the opposite effect. It is one thing to sheath one’s claws; it is quite another to have no claws at all. When it was known and realised that Britain’s force was mainly of a moral nature, things began to happen. “Bitter experience suggests that pacifism does not of itself mean peace,” added Mr. Gilmour. “The world being what it is, the cause of peace may be better served by a well-armed Britain than by a Britain which is not only unwilling to fight, but which is unready to fight if the worst should ever happen. A strong Britain is the best guar - antee of world peace. I believe Jt to be among the first duties of every man to-day to make himself versed in the problem of international peace, and to inspire in others the goodwill of Christ, which rejoices in fellowship and in fair play for all. • “Europe is in great agony, and the cause of it is a lost faith in Christ, and it failure to follow His footsteps. It is the devilish case of brother fighting brother. No section is fighting for Christianity. The things that have been done are contrary to -everything Christ taught. God moves in a mysterious way, and it may be that through fear, doubt and tribulation we shall reach the time when peace shall encircle the earth. Let us prqve worthy of such a blessing.” . At the conclusion of the service more than 200 people, attended a friendly hour in the Sunday School Hall adjoining the church, those present joining in the singing of hymns. Tea was served by the women members of the church. Mr. Gilmour welcomed the returned soldiers, and in reply Colonel Cowles thanked the women’s committee for their hospitality.