IN MEMORY

Evening Star, Issue 16909, 5 December 1918, Page 8

IN MEMORY

TABTjBT TO NFAY ZEAT.ANDERS xVT bERE FEKRERS. Tbt> 'Western 3lr , rr.ing Npws.' published i> Exeter, Devon, of September 13 had the Following: A memorial to th* Xcw Zealand ki'';d by mi express train in Berc Ferrers &r,tion. nca-Iv a vear ago, was unveiled '*>■ ihe bishop of Footer in Bore F'-rrrm P;i-i*,i Church venereav, a contingent <-f New Z-v. landers from their depot at Torquay and Australians from Saltash camp attending The former were under the command of Lieutenant M'Tsr.ac, who aho represented *.be Hi"h Commissioner for New Zeala.wl and General Richardson commanding the New Zraland Expeditionary Force. The AiistraIfans were under Sergeant Linnard. and Cap tain Tdwa! Jems, of tho Embarkation Start. ras also present. Tlie memorial, a br-a.5 3 antral tablet, is affixed to the chancel wall Irmsediateh- behind the pulpit. It is surmounted bv the New Zealand coat o£ arms, and in red and black lettering bears the following inscription: To the glorv of God and to the memory and honor of .1. S. Jackson. C. C. Kirton. B. A. M'Brvde, If. V. M'Kenna, W. S. GiFlandors, J. E. Warden W. F. Grfavei. J. Judg-, W. J. T. Rtafell. and S. K. West prhate* i" the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces (28th Heinforcem-nt.i), who were killed in Bere Ferrers Railway Station while, getting out of their troop tram. September 2-1, 1917. They had just landed at Plvmouth. and were on their way to join their comrades on Salisbury Plain. This tablet is erected in their honor and mernorv by the people of Bere Ferrera parish "and" other admirers in appreciation of their lovaltv and self-sacrifice in coming from tier" far-off homes to fight for England in the great war for the freedom of the world. Before the unveiling the tablet was covered irith the Union Jack. Another Lnson Jack was gathered around the pulpit, with laurels

at the foot, while the parish roll of honor, with its wreath of laurels nnd _vaiK* of flowers, was surmounted by two Union Jacks and the Naval Flidgn. 'The service. c?ndvcted by tho sector (Rev. J. SharpeV t'<o originator of the memorial, commenced with the National Anth<>"i. The -pec'al Psami Iwas the "IPlli. ''God i* "ur re,,- a"d i strength" and the ''vims w-r- " V.»- <h • ! laborer's iask i« o'er" (V t-i t'w al'-^ioo | of the word '• laborer's" to_ " w.trior ■< ). "Thev whose course on civl'-. ' : o ' rl'-w bnVht <;!oriou« "-lime.' and O God, our help in ages past." ' Tn reouestirig the B : shop to urrveil tho memorial, tho rector welcomed tho Xew Zealander? and Australians, and '-oped that when tho former returned to their homes in Xew Zealand thev would He able to say how in a little Devon village the people felt that the New Zenlanders' was n-.-'.rs, ar.d how thev wished to perpetuate their comrades mrmorv and show thrir appreciation ot ah they did. BISHOP ON THE FUTURE LIFE. After unveiling the tablet, tho Bishop ascended the pulpit and gave an address that compelled the deepest attention. 'Hie occa'sion. he said, was at once sad and jioy.nl. Death at all times was sad. and it was surelv sadder when it st-nelc the young rather than tho old. On the other hand, thev were met on a joyful oci-ision, for. those who died were coming to do a noble action, to help to-save five world from the greatest tyranny with which it had ever been threatened—the tyranny of a military despotism. Thev were decplv grateful, and their brothers in France and Belgium wero more grateful, that it pleaded Ciod to put into the heart* of those who were so far removed in distance, though so near in affection, to come across the ocean tn help to fi<*bt against that tvraimy. It was with a jdvful lieart they thought, of their selfsacrifice. On such an occasion they could meditate on what was meant by death. To some it mav come as the greatest, enemy, tearing to bits' a life which perhaps dcsej&'ed to bo torn up in bits. To others it may come

Ins t.ho great*"* frieml. Inl-hi? a. soul from : misery, 'suffering, atid disappointment. To iotlv-i* it tiime lihed with sliiune. and to otVrs w-ith li«nor. IVr M>s>- of tV hero was the most honorable death, with tho exception of tho death of the saint and nnr.'vr. A mere materialist had and dc:ith wiis extinction, like a candle blown out. It was verv hard to accept, even from a mercly materialist point of view, that, life, the prriitesfc force in this world, conld bo stopped like V'at. Did ihe minds Unit clmngid the lace of the world vear bv year by encineenns works, and shrank space* by mv~iitions until one country was close to another, disappear in that manner? Xo: th-» whole wo-'M. noi onlv Christians refused tho materialist answer. Tho bodv slept, but did the thing that animated tho body sleep? Merely from a non-Christian point of view, what a mass of evidence thev bad that the soul lived. The whole world, " Japanese, Mahometan, and the lowest savage believed that. And wa3 tho survival after death a dark, sloomy night, whore the sun never shone and where there'were no joys or pleasures? No; that belief was at once false when they considered tho goodness and power of God. If they accepted the survival after death their reason demanded that that life should be a full life of iov and happiness, and there it was that Chfislianity forged ahead of all other religions. Unless they built on 'he hope of a "brifhtev and more joyful world m the future, they would always lose the'r strength. Hope' was the anchor. God was goo-df and goodness was doing kindness to people who did not always deserve it, and

thev could trust Gcd in his goodnces; ai3o thev must not think of Gnd as a schoolmaster, but. as a loving father. A collection was token up for the New Zealand Red Cross Fund.