484,000 HEROES

Evening Star, Issue 21316, 21 January 1933, Page 5

484,000 HEROES

The R.S.P.C.A. war memorial to animals, which was unveiled in London a few days ago by the Countess of Warwick, always one of tho best friends of our-dumb friends, will be a poignant reminder to those who pass by of the futility and cruelty of war. Many will realise with a shock another aspect of _ Armageddon when they read this dedication: This building is dedicated as a memorial to the countless thousands of God’s humble creatures who suffered and perished in the Great Wa l- ; knowing nothing of the cause, looking forward to no final victory, filled only with faith, love, and loyalty, they endured much and died for us.

On tbo casualty panel is an inscription recording the death of 484,000 horses, mules, camels, dogs, carrier pigeons, and other creatures on the various fronts during the Great War. When the R.S.P.C.A. decided to put up a memorial to dumb creatures which, like their human brothers, were caught in the ruthless machinery of war, someone had the inspiration to suggest building an animal dispensary for giving free treatment to the animals of thp poor. This was finished about a year ago, and 6,000 animals have already been treated. Now the building has been completed by a beautiful panel sculptured by. Mr Brook Fitch, which shows the winged spirit of Peace holding out laurel wreaths to groups of animals approaching on either side. At the unveiling stories were told of some of the ways in which aninmls helped during the war—of pigeons which brought in messages from aeroplanes with the last flutter of their wings, and of horses mortally wounded yet struggling with ammunition limbers, trying to help their masters in a terrible catastrophe they could not understand. A pitiful thing it all is, and we agree with Lady that these poor creatures which perished in a cause they did not understand, for the evil of men in which they had no part, deserve the grateful memory of mankind.