MEETING OF CITIZENS

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 80, 1 October 1918, Page 8

MEETING OF CITIZENS

A REPRESENTATIVE GATHERING

A thoroughly representative meeting of citizens, was held in - the Council Chamber of the' Town Hall at .12.30 p.m. The Mayor, Mr. J. P. Luke, C.M.G., M.P.y presided, and with him on the platform were the Acting-Prime Minister .{Sir James Allen) and the Chief ■:'■ Justice. (Sir ■ Robert . Stout); .'Amongst those present in, the • body of the room.were Mr. Justice Cooper, Mr; Justice Chapman,. ' Mr. Justice . Sim, Captain Hall Thompson,- the Hon. T. M.\Wi]ford, representatives of the military, authorities and all the local bodies, and 1 many other prominent citizens^ The Mayor, in a .few well-chosen ■.words',, explained the' desirableness of identifying the citizens of Wellington officially with the great success recorded during the'Uast few, hours; which he said would attune their hearts into sympathy with the men of the. British Empire .and the Allies. The victory was the first opening tt> th» peace which was in evidence on all sides: Mr. Luke then moved.the following resolution■:—

|. That this meeting of citizens ofy Wellington tender their thanks to Almighty God, and express their , grateful and profound' admiration for the continued gallantry displayed ■ by the forces of Great Britaia and . ; her i Allies in the prosecution of the war; 'and for the. success attained. We 'are confident that the uricoditional surrender of Bulgaria, and the successes of the "Allies', efforts-in ■' Palestine and Mesopotamia, and the great victories on, the Western front,', indicate that the prolonged suffering and sacrifices of our kith and kin: •and our Allies will speedily end in the establishment of a just and '■: righteous peace ; that a copy of this resolution be .'forwarded to the Act-ing-Prime Minister for transmission to the British Government. Councillor A. It. Atkinson seconded the motion. . As the Mayor had said, their'hearts \yere too full for speech in view of. recent termendous events. The spectacle of the Turks after four centuries of rule being' bundled bag and baggae out of the Holy Land with, out own,men of Anzac in the van against, them,. was an inspiring one. The Turks had been a blight and a curso wherever they had been, but had improved and developed in intelligence under .German tutelage. Mo6t recent events had shown that they may soon be bundled out of Constantinople and Europe, and the Dardanelles expedition brought to full fruition. (Applause.) Light, was'indeed breaking.through the clouds, and; it was impossible to find adequate expression of gratitude. There was more danger now from the peace offensive than the military operations of the enemy. Also our own peace.-monger andt'scavengers were a greater-danger now than ever before, and they must be made to know that there was no room for them in our micUt, The time had come

to say to these people, "Get thee behind me,' Satan," Councillor Atkinson concluded, by paying a high tribute to the work done' by Sir James Allen and his thorough-attitude all through in rthe determination that New Zealand should be in the war to the end. (Applause.) SIR JAMES ALLEN; SPEAKS . Prefacing .his., remarks, the Acting: Prime Minister read the following, tele-: gram which he had in the morning sent to all Mayors throughout New Zealand: , The. unconditional surrender of Bulgaria, following so closelj- upon General Allenby's splendid victories in Palestine, is an event'of such, farreaching importance that I deemed it fitting to ask you to hoist - your flags. I now recommend you to • invite citizens to render thanks to ■Almighty God, Who, in His merciful providence, has guided us to the 1 end of one act in this horrible drama , of the last four, years.. Ask" the people also to pray that.the Father's hand may be.Svith the Allied armies to protect them and lead them to '■• ■ the successful and early completion '. of the immense work -which humanity, in full confidence of the ultimate . . result-,' has placed in.their hands.. .-,' He had, he said, no doubt that the Mayors would give effect to his suggestions. The Minister of Education had asked that all school children be given, a half-holiday this , afternoon, where possible; if not, at a later date. This, Sir James Allen said, was fitting, ' as the position they had met to celebrate looked like the beginning of the end. It was inconceivable to him that Turkey could hold out for many .more days., Once the Balkan difficulty: was settled, attention could be directed elsewhere,but all were convinced that there Was only one possible" end. Agreeing with Councillor Atkinson,; he .-would' ask the country not .to."be led. away by peace"-, feelers and pacifists.; (Applause.).' They had gone through four years of' purgatory, and many of the best of the young lives ,of the . country: had been ,given, and they would have to go on anf fight through—not in a spirit of vindictiveness, but in order to ensure that the world would be saved from such athing ■for a- long time to come. "I have no time for the man," he added, "who could look on these sacrifices; ■"which have been made and say 'let us-Make peace at any price.' " (Cheers.) He had no wish to be cruel to our, enemies, but we.must retain what we had solidly and earnestly won.- • , . What a relief it must have been, continued Sir James, to the men -who had been fighting for four years to find that they had turned the corner, and were marching on .the road to victory. It was nptimtil this morning, when the little relief came, that he,had realised the tension of. the last four years! "We will see it through if we are -worth our salt; if-we are worthy of. occupying this glorious little land/ we will.see it through to, the very end, and ensure the'removal of any menace .to.these shores," . said Sir James Allen in conclusion. "I congratulate you on the glorious news, and. 'with you. look-for even more glorious news-in the near'future." (Cheers.) ; • ''PAY DAY MUST COME" ■ Sir Robert' Stout expressed the view that the occasion was an -historic, one, but said it would be necessary to realise .that there were great difficulties to be met with even now, and it could not be expected that the war would be over very soonX- There were enemies without to, contend* with}/-and also enemies within," '; and the people of the British Empire did, not seem, to realise that- an offence against humanity must be dealt with, and: punished. Some seemed to think lthat,.ifi.such an offence was committed, ■the day would come for it to be pardoned, but. if that view were ; taken now there was no guarantee,for future peace, j,or for the" future of humanity.' (Applause.) A crime, a sin, such as had been' committed, must be .punished, and; nothing must stand 'in' the way; if righteousness was to prevail and peace to reign.' Those who disobeyed and violated what might be termed the eternal, laws of the universe .must take- their .punishment, and be made.to,know that 'they; had done wrong.- .;.' .-■•■;.•■

Speaking with much, emotion, ,Sir Robert Stout made ■ feeling reference to '. those who have fallen in the great struggle. Many- of:those present had lost the nearest and dearest to them, and the loss would be more deeply felt if ■they were to .look on-those "graves and say that the loved ones were' not to'bo .vindicated.; in this great war of ; malice. : There must be punishment for the vindication of'justice and the benefit of those.left behind: If this had been kept in view in the past; how different 'it would have been.l If Russia had remained in the war, he thought the end would even now have come. Instead, it was given over to anarchy.and Bolshevism, and there had been more nrur-, ders in a year in Russia than had been .'there';for fifty-years previously. Could anyone say that humanity had benefited by this? Peace for the future was only obtainable by letting those who had done the great: wrong know that pay-day must come round.. If it did, not there was no prospect of peace for, the world, and no chance for thel future of humanity. (Loud applause.)'..'•• '■: ■ .'■■.■'":;■■'. .'- The ,'motion • was then put, and carried amidst cheers, and the gathering sang, with right good will, the National ■Anthem. ■.■'....*''. '■ ■■ ■ .< .

At the luncheon hour to-day a meeting was held at the Commercial Travellers' Association's' Rooms, to celebrate the news of" Bulgaria's unconditional surrender tp the Allies: Mr. M. A. Carr, vice-president, in a short speech, expressed the hope that.this great.event would be the forerunner of equally great things, that;'a new light. 'was dawning,' and that a. great and glorious victory; was ing that a great'arid glorious victory was at hand; that the long-looked-for peace was now within measurable distance. Cheers were given for the "Allies and also for the Serbian army. The meeting concluded with singing "God Save the King "and "Rule Britannia." "■;