WAR MEMORIAL UNVEILED

Evening Star, Issue 17921, 17 March 1922, Page 3

WAR MEMORIAL UNVEILED

SPEECH BY SIR THOMAS MACKENZIE.

WORDS OP WARNING.

The unveiling at Hampden yesterday of a. fallen soldiers’ memorial, a description of which was given in last night’s ‘Star,’ was carried out in the presence of several hundred people. The service commenced in fine weather, but before long rain fell, and the gathering dispersed just before a thundershower. However, the programme ■was'carried through as arranged. Mr H. I. Nicolson (Mayor of Hampden) presided, and the ceremony of unveiling the pedestal on which the names of the fallen soldiers are inscribed was performed by Sir Thomas Mackenzie.

Several Kymns were sung -during the service, prayer was offered by the 1 Rev. W. M'Lean, and Bugler Henson winded the ‘Last Host.’

Mr Nicolson said they had met on this solemn occasion for the unveiling of the monument. Tho names inscribed on _;l were those of boys who had loft their district.—most of them boys who had pone to the Hampden School, and whom he I )a d known since their infancy. He saw among those present several parents of boys who had mado the sacrifice, and it moved him very much to say anything. He was glad to say the school children Ivul Biken great, interest in the memorial. The pupils had marched around the foundation of the monument, and each had placed a stone in it. Ho hoped they would never forgot that as long ns they lived. Mr Nicolson concluded with a eulogistic to Sir Thomas Mackenzie’s work among New Zealand soldiers in the Old Country. Addresses were then given bv the Hon. E. H. Clark, Captain M'Hugh. Mr M'Daivmid (Mayor of Oamam). and the Rev. W. M'Lean (a returned padre).

ADDRESS BY SfR THOMAS,

Sir Thomas Mackenzie said ho regarded it ns a very high honor to be entrusted with the unveiling of the memorial. It was fitting that they should pay a. tribute to those who had worthily maintained their part in the field ami who had given their lives that wo might be free. Ho hoped that there would also be a roll of honor containing the names of tho young men who had returned. These, too, had voluntarily and' nobly played their part. Notwithstanding the Peace Conference, lb© League of Nations, ami the Disarmament Conference, continued Sir Thomas, they would see that the conditions of the armistice were being evaded every day by Germany. Although Germany had professed to have, reduced her army In 100.000 according to the treaty, she had an organisation by which 800.C00 men could be called up. Such a statement had been made by the Minister of War in France, and had never been contradicted. Although Germany had evaded paying her war indemnity, she had sent out of the country sixteen millions in gold for investment abroad. Wo knew she was able to construct guns contrary to the treaty, and in many other'ways was evading the demands, and we felt exceedingly disturbed over the state of the world at the present time. Germany was surreptitiously stirring up strife everywhere. Lord Northcliffo had told us that in tho East she wa,s in every movement antagonistic to British interests. Sir Thomas also uttered a warning in regard to Korea, on which we would have to bo watchful. The whole situation called for continued vigilance. In the. future New Zealand might have to depend upon itself in case of attack. He thought wo should continue to train lads in schools for defence, or in some other form which would bo effective. In referring to the deeds of New Zealand soldiers in the Great War, Sir Thomas said that -at a great review in Cairo prior to tho Gallipoli campaign General Sir John Maxwell had said to him that it would be impossible to surpass the quality of> the New Zealanders that marched; before him. At the landing on Gallipoli the men showed what they were made of. General Birdwood had remarked that had they “ paraded ” on Gallipoli they would have been exterminated. But there every man became a general. They scaled tho heights and attacked ..the enemy in a way that stirred the admiration of all. Again, in Franco Now Zealanders had fought splendidly, and out of tho line had conducted themselves well. When they wont to England, Scotland, or Ireland—in tho homos of tho people of those countries—they conducted themselves like gentlemen. On the social side—for some reason or other—no body of men occupied a more deservedly high opinion among Hie people of the Old Country than those from New Zealand. Sir Thomas referred to the care of New Zealanders in England and of tho splendid efforts of New Zealand ladies and gentlemen who organised tho work. He extended his most sincere sympathy to tho relatives of,those who had fallen. On tho other hand, they must have pride because of this monument. On this were the names of men of families who were even now held in high honor, and as generation followed generation the monument would be referred to with pride, and the descendants of those people would have something to bo gratified with. We would have to continue to he vigilant here. Although many mistakes had been made in the war, Great Britain and her dependencies, everything considered, had come out splendidly, with tho Allies, before the war was over. Great Britain had done a splendid thing in getting behind Belgium when she was invaded by the German. It was a great pity Britain had not got behind Denmark years before when she had been threatened by the Hun of Europe. Denmark had to secede provinces to Germany. If Britain had got behind Denmark then, that secession might not have taken place, and Germany would not have been able to construct tho Kiel Canal, which gave her access to tho North Sea. A tribute was paid by Sir Thomas to Lord Kitchener, who performed marvellous, work in raising tho new armies. Ho was sorry and indignant to see the reflection cast upon Kitchener by some people. Right to the end of his life Kitchener was as virile, as active, and as capable as in any period of hio existence. Magnificent work had been done by Great Britain in combating the submarine menace. Then, again, Britain was quite’defenceless against aircraft , and many valuable lives bad been lostmany more than had been reported. But the great ingenuity of tho people of tlv British Empire had devised means to meet the difficulty, and it had been a New Zca lander who had invented tho bullet by which tho first Zeppelin had been brought down. Personally, he felt that the time was coining for us to provide for contingencies—in time of peace provide for war. Until human nature was changed he did not believe much permanent result would ensue from some of the and he thought that some powerful natipqs would have to combine to police tho situation. Whilst he disliked" militarism, this land of ours was much too good a country to leave defenceless. The eyes of Eurooe and other parts of tho world were cast upon us. Did it not behove us to see that wo had reasonable training and reasonable defence to keep this fair land for people of the same civilisation as ourselves?