ARMISTICE OBSERVANCE

Evening Star, Issue 19712, 12 November 1927, Page 6

ARMISTICE OBSERVANCE

SERVICE AT ST. PAUL'S BIG MILITARY REPRESENTATION lu connection with Armistice Day commemoration a most impressive setvice was held last evening in St. Paul’s Cathedral. The sermon was delivered by the Kov. Canon Button, who based all that he said on the simple words, “ Remember and forget.” A noteworthy feature was the largo attendance of those connected .with military service, including about 50 officers and non-commissioned officers of the First Battalion, Otago Regiraent, the Executive Committee of the Dunedin Returned Soldiers’ Association, a number of wounded soldiers, ex-service nurses. Girl Guides, Boy Scouts, and members of the St. John Ambulance Division, as well _as many representatives of local bodies. Tho Mayor (Mr W. B. Taverner) and many city councillors were also present. Appropriate hymns were sung, and the First Battalion Band, which was present, played special music. 1 Tho Lost Chord ’ was played ns tho offertorium, while tho retiring voluntary was ‘ Land of Hope and Glory.’ The hymn ‘ 0 God Our Help in Ages Past ’ was also played. The object of the collection was to raise funds to.supply memorial stones for the graves of soldiers for whom the Government does not supply stones in the Dunedin cemeteries.

Canon Button, in his sermon, spoko of the younger generation of citizens who to-day were growing up without a sense, of the great loss that had been suffered, hilt who yet were entering into tho heritage of the sacrifice made by those who had fought and died, it was necessary to put before these younger people something of the memory, of the sacrcduess of our Holy Dead. “And yet,” he went on, “wo say there are no dead for we believe in tho communion of saints, and they arc ■ a vast army.” Then there was another thing to. remember on a day like tliis, and that was the tremendous solemn responsibility to carry on. Jf their sacrifice wore not in vain it was for us to see' that tho ideals they had fought and died for were not lost in the search for profit and plea-sure. “ Lot us keep their ideals ever before us,” he exhorted his congregation, “ and they will not have died in vain.” Happily, there wore organisations today that were carrying on tho ideals that men fought for. Rotary was one, and that active body of young men, Too H, was another. Remember and forget! Forget what? The suffering? No. Sacrifice? Surely not. Forget the horrible attitude of mind, the hatred and suspicion that characterised the attitude of many of the nations during those four years of conflict. It was not a characteristic of those who fought, for there was no hatred as far as they were concerned. The hatred was at home. The world was a very small place, and if there was still going to be hatred among tire nations, and if we were going to bring that hatred into our own lives we were going to delay the coming of that great brotherhood which was the only solution to the problems confronting us. It remained for us to bury the Hatchet, remembering that although other nations were to blame we ourselves were not altogether blameless. Thus entreating his hearers, Canon Button drew an eloquent picture of the blameless life of Christ, Who in the past had aimed at bringing about the Brotherhood of Man and who had crucified Himself that man might be saved. _ The service concluded with the singing of tho National Anthem, after which a bugler sounded tho 1 Last Post’ and the ‘Reveille,’ OBSERVANCE IN SYDNEY AN IMPRESSIVE SERVICE. Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright. SYDNEY, November 11. Armistice Day was celebrated at an impressive service in Martin place, whore the Governor, tho Premier, aad tho Lord Mayor placed ivrmths on the cenotaph. The two minutes’ silence was observed at ]] o’clock, all traffic stopping and pedestrians s-anilmg ’.villi bared heads. .... There were similar ceremonies m a.i the cities of tho Commonwealth. EARLY START IN LONDON CENOTAPH WREATHED. LONDON, November 11. Homage to the Empire’s valient dead began before dawn, Poppy sellers were astir in the markets and other centres all night, and early workers at the ceuotajm have it wreathed already. The day promises cold, but line, wintry weather. Exceptionally early frosts have been experienced. Two hundred and filty Old Contcmptihles have landed at Ostend, including three with Victoria Crosses. They are going to Mens to spend Armistice Day on the battlefield, and arc representing the little British Army which stood up to the first German onslaught in IDI4. CLASHES IK DUBLIN POLICE USE BATONS. LONDON, November 11. Following on a meeting on College Green, Dublin, against Imperialistic displays on Armistice Day, scuffles occurred between the demonstrators and tho wearers of Flanders poppies. The police dispersed the rioters with two baton charges. II! AMERICA CANADIAN GOVERNMENT PRESENTS MONUMENT. NEW YORK, November 11. (Received November 12, at 10.10 a.m.) Armistice Day was commemorated throughout the United States by the customary two minutes 1 silence. A special feature marked tho Washington ceremonies, when the Canadian Government presented the United States with a monument consisting of a white stone cross at Arlington cemetery, in memory of Americans who served with the Canadian forces. The Canadian Minister (Mr Vincent Massey) represented Canada and Air Kollog the United States. Mr Coolidge and others placed wreaths on the tomb of tho Unknown Soldier. The President and his wife received at White House 210 Canadian soldiers. President Coolidge, as an Aimistico Day effort to aid war victims, signed an appeal for assistance to the Red Cross.