A WAR MEMORIAL

Evening Star, Issue 17484, 15 October 1920, Page 7

A WAR MEMORIAL

FOE OUE SOLDIERS

STIRRING SPEECHES

A public meeting of citizens was held in the Burns Hall last evening to consider the erection of a—war memorial in the City. lii the absence of the Mayor, the Deputy Mayor (Mr J. J. Clark) occupied the chair, and there was. a fair attendance. The meeting was opened with the National Anthem, after which the Kaikorai Band played a selection.

The Chairman, in apologising for the absence of the Mayor* (at present in Wellington), said that Mr Begg had asked him to conrey to the meeting*his sincere regret that ho was not able to be present to assist in augurating the movement to «mmemoraie the glorious deeds and.devoted sacrifices of the splondid women and men who had left our shores to share in the toil and glory of the Great War. (Hear, hear.) The Mayor had further deajred him to say that he was confident that the citizens of Dunedin would unito whole-Tieartedly to carry into effect the proposal to erect a suitable war memorial, and that the meeting would cause a wave of enthusiasm throughout the Citv that ■would quickly bring the project to "a successful conclusion.

Proceeding, the Deputy Mayor said: At a gathering like this our thoughts natuTsJiy go batek to those dark and tragic years of war. when we travelled the gloomy paths of pain, disappointment, and gnef, and we looked eaeerlv for the glimmer of light that would"betoken the dawn of the day of victory. But though those war years were bitter and full of agonising strain, we are thrilled, stirred, and inspired when we recall the wonderful spirit of service, the splendid loyalty, the stem determination that animated "this Dominion in common with the rest of the Empire. _ There was never a falter in the resolution to work, endure, and sacrifice till the flags of the Allies should float triumphantly, and Liberty, Honor, and Justice should claim the victory. (Applause.) When the insolent challenge for world dominion came from tho crowned assassin of Europe it was accepted witli grim determination to fight on till victory came. The whole community was roused, and we were enabled to take apon ourselves burdens and responsibilities, attempt and accomplish duties which would have been regarded as impossible and inconceivable in normal times. For flaming high above the tragedy and horror of those ghastly years there shines forth with a radiant glow the spirit of chivalry, of faith, of sacrifice. Let us resolve that the spirit that was born in those stem heroic days shall not diethat whatever changes "may come, the exalted, the noble patriotism of those war years will endure. Let us to-night determine_ that we will commemorate it by erecting a stately war memorial. Those war years gave us our most priceless heritage in the splendid heroism and magnificent achievements of the gallant crusaders who went overseas to share in the toil and glory of battles. You will agree that the greatest day in our Dominion's fiistory is the 25th April, 1915—Ahzac Day. In the grey dawn of that dav the men from under the Southern Cross "made our land—made New Zealand—famous in tho world's history. By the heroism of her stalwart sons New "Zealand came to full manhood, and proudly took her place among the nations, of the world. (Applause.) The work so splendidly begun in Gallipoli was but the commencement of ! the splendid_ history of our soldiers. On the bloodstained land of Iterance, on the historio fields of Flanders, in tho deserts of Egypt, and in the storied land of Palestine they have home their part with allied armies, and have written their names high on the blazoned scroll of fame. Those citizen soldiers of ours were just our ordinary fellow-men, whom we meet in our streets. There was nothing to suggest that they were better than their neighbors, yet under the stress of war they dad nobler thingß than most of us are able to conceive. (Applause.) I "am not speaking of the rare achievement i that won a V.C. or a distinguished honor, but of the common everyday heroism that our soldiers displayed. The necessity of then- duty transformed them into a nobility of which they themselves were all unconscious of. The greatest thing abont them was that they themselves were unaware of their own greatness. We also, as we look back, gladly give our tribute of honor to that noble type of womanhood—the nurses--(applause)—for the great and splendid part they played. The glory and glamor of the battle front may not surround them, yet we cannot honor them too highly for their splendid eacrihemg service. Some of them have made the supreme sacrifice and given their lives that other might live. Lovingly we place their names on the roll of our glorious ijj 11133 of our fellow-citizen soldiers have been away down into the Valley of Shadow; some of them have fSu tT. llnscathed ; others have crawled forth broken and maimed for life; while many, alas! will not come back. Many °ct out j gallant and noble men have "gono West, No riches poured into the Empires coffers can ever repay the value of those brave spirits who have fallen. Hail and farewell To those who died In that full splendor of heroic pride Inafc we might live. I have no words to express the debt we owe the love we feel towards those who nobly fighting nobly fell." Thoy died for honor, they died for liberty, they died HIT We them !i ™*. -e love them now. Let us not forget. But our memories are short, and our aacred duty fresh, and that generations vet to come 1? f a \ s ? the * deb i thafc is **» to «££ who fought, suffered, and died that this see 1 rW rt" b V ree ' We ha ™ to see that they are not forgotten, that they will live on in the hearts and livei of thVt&l this Ci > l ™ -"Went that there is no diversity of opinion ereZd Tf tha l a memorial should be the St P erhaps 11Q two ° f "s have take Sam ° W ll as the form it should take But let us unite, sink our peronewlf dTT' a , nd determine th * fc ««h |«m utmost to see that this City has arolendid memorial of our noble Z wav nd tW"• "T ars ™LZ 7 a' £? e -c aie ob stacles to be surSacrifice and unity that v«as generated iSS" T?' then we Bhaf hav 11 ■lne band gave another selection, which ?f much appreciated. This was followed r €? .ce Eaton then movedfti Am?* T e i etmg of citi * ens res °l™ «at steps be taken to recognise the ma<--S ifili * he Empire in the Great War *nd to take steps to hav e a j Sf Ja ♦w non ?? erected in this Citv -" KitST*? 6 p °P ular Pagination. totubl^r?l dUe £ P nblic »P»«»V.- but thJ t Upatlon - T**™ had sucwar and tbl ar m €Xte ™ve disgust of ffi'«£tt?sM mofrSth' 64 " do their tv>e+ Vl VT tha Mhoy would wV For sl«V ee ther ? wak "o ™™ vSmiS E a- P 6o^6 had heen de£e^TrfvincHi. ° rd \ nai "* and Sato CTL tn , with additional gnsto to the pleasures of life. If they ££3h£l must do wmathing to enthuse the people of the )nstitations that wero convincing proof of Sfrfr^^j"^^" o ° f th « pnwic ffi«S A?l i Zenß of y«te'dav,. and &ey did not need to go far afield to find SSS3W 1 **V thoSe Rbided with the citizens of to-day For during the years of stress and strain occanoaed by the war there was manifested Dy the citizens a superb generosity in the gmng_ of thought, time, men, and manhood in the securing of .victory.' It was hoped those sacrifices would be remembered, and a memorial erected to the greatest of Empire. We would be a people shallow and frivolous if we did not tlesire to plant a memorial somewhere to those who watched over the destinies of on F„ Empire. This duty we owed our children. .Then there was a duty to the noble band of martyrs, living and dead.

who had suffered agony and untold- bereavement that we might live. (Applause.) Mr L. D. Ritchie, in seconding the motion, said the keynote of the war—namely, duty—was the keynote of the proposal before the meeting. They knew full well that the war was not a war for the lust of power, or greed of territory; it was a just war. It was the duty of the people to erect a memorial, to show that they were not ungrateful. It was a matter of honor to do so. The relatives had made Ask the bereaved, he said, if a memorial was not wanted? He hoped that the memorial would be built soon, and that it would bte btalt strong and well. A gentleman in the audience rose and' said he. would move, as an amendment, thai/the meeting proceed no 'further. He thought that it was an insult to the parents who had lost their children to put such a resolution "before two or three chairs." 'The mover then made for the door, but before he had reached it a lady rose and seconded the amendment, which", on being put, was lost, only the mover and seconder apparently supporting it. Colonel E. R. Smith said the "motion concluded with the' words "in tin's City." A number of returned soldiers ' thought that the memorial should be placed at the top of Mount C'avgill, while others thought that it should be on Signal Hill. If the motion was carried in the way it was worded they would be tied down to the City. Possibly the mover might see his way, to strike out the words " in this Gitv " and insert, "'for the Citv."

Tile mover said he was quite willing*"-to accept the sugges'tion, and the motion as amended was carried.

Mr T. N. Le Spong recited ' Our Glorious Dead," and Mr A. Maitland (a returned soldier) contributed two songs. The Rev. S. G. Griffith moved—"That, in order to carry into effect the above resolution, a committee be set up to make all the necessary arrangements for erecting and financing the. memorial, such committee to consist of the Mayor (chairman), Rev. G. H. Balfour, Rev. Canon Nevill, Rev. 0. Bush-King, Dr Gordon Macdona!d, Dr T. Harrison, Crs Clark, Wilson, Hay ward. Hancock, and Douglas, Messrs <L L. Salmond, J. 11. Wilkinson, J. Inglis Wright, J. London, D. Harris Hastings, and T. N. De Spong, with power to add to their number." The mover said that lis had a good deal of sympathy with the gentleman who moved tlje amendment .to the previous resolution, because he felt the meeting was by no 'mean's as large as it shoiild be to do honor to the people of Dunedin. These who urged others to go to the front should be the first to give expression of appreciation to their splendid service. It was their duty to see that New Zealand's achievements were com~ memorated in a fitting fashion. He had his idea of what form the monument should take, but probably other people differed In order to get the thing which wosld best conserve the idea of the mass of the people, they had decided to set up a committee in terms of his motion. Mr H. L. Tapley seconded the motion. Although the hall was not'filled, he felt sure that when they went outside the necessary funds for the erection of the memorial would soon be forthcoming. The Chairman agreed that it was disappointing to see"such a meagre attendance. The motion was carried, after it was suggested that tho committee should take a vote of the people as to the nature of the memorial.

On the motion of Mr R. Gilkison a vote of thanks was accorded the chairman, the committee who had organised the meeting the singers, and the Kaikorai Band Another speaker suggested that Anzac square should bo made worthy of a war memorial. On his motion it was decided that the committee consider the advisa--bility of erecting a suitable monument "in I that square.