ANZAC SERVICES

Evening Star, Issue 18257, 23 April 1923, Page 3

ANZAC SERVICES

COUNCIL OF CHURCHES. I Yesterday morning the Eev. W. | Saunders (president of the Council of j Christian Congregations) spoke at the 1 Y.M.C.A. on the subject of ‘ Auzac.’ : Practically all the men in residence were ; present. Ilis remarks were based on the 1; words of St. Paul: “ Endure hardship as ! ( a 'good soldier of Jesus Christ.” He ] pointed out that all ceremonials in con- i, nection with Anzac were free, from a i praise of militarism as such, but it was impossible for us to think of Anzac and not have our thoughts revert to the sol- ;i diers of this dominion, who quitted them- i selves like men. He said that, while we ,1 admired the splendid courage of our men ; in fighting, that wars should cease; we 1 could not but deplore the indications of , 1 storm that still existed in Europe. “ But,” said the speaker. “ Uod is in Ilis heaven, j and all should he well with the world. ’ i Mr Saunders went on to say : “ I am in possession of two private diaries kept by Dunedin boys on Gallipoli -one ati;, infantryman, one an artilleryman. .As one j■ reads these diaries one realises that our • men were soldiers: they were our friends, j onr brothers, nnr sons. At, first we thought that such citizen troops could scarcely be , sent to the front, but would guard the j lines of communication, the railways, etc.; but they were soldiers, and not only soldiers, as Lord Jellicoe has said, but 1 soldiers and gentlemen.’ St. Paul knew nothing of modern warfare, but he spoke of the fight he understood--a tight of right against wrong, with Jesus as commander, lie appealed to all to enlist, and not only so, but to 1 endure hardness.’ Pleasure, ease, ami freedom from the fight were unworthy of Christian men. We were | called to a. life that was strenuous, and j sometimes hard. Enduring hardness alone , was worthy of real men." In concluding, j the speaker said: ‘‘ In memory of that | Sunday let, this text come with fresh force i to us. and let each of ns ' Payluve hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. j BAPTIST CHURCH. Special -Anzac services were held yesterday at the Hanover Street Baptist Church. | In, the morning the Rev. R- H. Knowles [vcnipton preached fn,m Hebrews. xi. In the ever,mg Air Kcmpton preached on , Isaiah's virion of a world in which peace , everywhere prevailed (chapter in). He : referred to the daring and endurance of \ the men who had faced the foe at Unlli- I poll and on the fields ot France and I‘laii- | Uers, and stated that they had been ani- j mated by the hope that their sacrifice i would put an end to war The League of | Nations had been founded to promote that | groat purpawe and to make, actual the. glowing prediction of leaiah. When Ar- ■ pontine and Chile had prepared lor war ' 1 hov were induced to submit the. dispute \ between them to the arbitrament of I Britain, am! when Britain's decision was accepted they fashioned out of the cannons cast, for war a Inure statue of Christ, which thev erected on the Andes, with the inscription ; *• Sooner shall these mountains fall into dust than the promise of peace bo broken to which the Chilians and Argentinos have pledged (hem selves at the feet of Christ the Redeemer.’' This was a parallel of what the Churches should endeavor to bring about. Wo were nearer than ever before to realising the ideal because of the aims and achievements oi the League of Nations. The Covenant of the League, was embodied in the Treaty of Versailles; “To promote ■international co-operation and to achieve international pence ami security . . . through open, just, and honorable international relations.” The Council of the League had already done great, things, K had secured the repatriation of VP).COO prisoners of war. ni a cost of £400.000. It had secured extensive relief for the famished millions of Russia, It had undertaken to suppress ns far as it could the infamous white, slave traffic and the opium traffic. Its central aim was to achieve international peace and to prevent war. War was not definitely ruled nut, but secret preparations fur war and sudden declarations of war wero forbidden. The league was really the fulfilment of the haunting d'-eams of Henry IV. of Franco, William I.Vnn, (he Tsars Alexander I. and Nicholas 11,. and other lovers of peace. It was superior to The Hague Tribunal, because it was clothed with fuller authority. Air Lowell had declared that, in Germany alone , 8,00.000 non-combatants, chiefly women and children, had died of starvation as a i direct result of the food blockade. It | was estimated that 16,000 seamen of the mercantile marine had perished in the war, and that 4,750 civilans had been , killed In air raids. No Christian man, in , view of the multiplied horrors of war, i could bo indifferent to any attempts to 1 render it impossible. The cause merited 1 enthusiasm. The Church of Jesus Christ ! could make a special contribution to the j i work ot the League. :