ANZAC DAY

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 150, 29 June 1929, Page 17

ANZAC DAY

FORM OF OBSERVANCE

As was published in the "Evening Post" on Thursday, the reported utterance of His Excellency: the GoyernorGeneraly- Sir Charles; FergussbiY. t° the .'effect; that.'.Anzae ; Day shduld.be observed in d more cheerful -manner, btought an explanation from Government House that His Excellency did not wish the impression to be created that the day should be given over to games, sports, and other amusements. His advocacy was that the services should be less mournful in. character. The letter was addressed to Colonel G. T. Hall, president of the Wellington Returned Soldiers' Association, and the latter was seen yesterday on. the - subject by a "representative "of ' ;" The Ppst." . •; ■-.:■■■ ■-.■■/::,' >;:..' ■■.• . . Colonel Hall said that he. ; W|Ould like to impress upon the public of New Zealand that Mr, Austin Carr, in speaking to a motion at the recent B.S.A. conference, did not mean, when he expressed the opinion that the day's 'celebrations should be more cheerful,'that there should be any lessening of , the solemnity, of the day as a.'day: of universal .remembrance, to' those Avho gave, their lives in defence of: the Empire. His remarks wer.e quite in accordance with the views expressed by-.His Excellency, and their whole'tenor was that the day should be, as far as possible, less mournful in character. The conference as a. whole had. views which were identical with the expressed opinion of the Governor-General, and, as representatives of the returned soldiers of New Zealand, they fully, realised that this day of days must always be maintained as a day of national remembrance. At the same time,the conference felt that all should realise that it was not a funereal ceremony, but a recognition of tho sacrifices made and services rendered to the Empire by those who gave their lives.