ANZAC DAY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 28 April 1926, Page 12

ANZAC DAY.

K ALONG A. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Memorial services were held in all three churches here on Sunday, a large number of, beautiful wreaths being in evidence. / These were later placed *>n the graves of returned soldiers who have been buried in the local cemetery.. M ATA PIT. (From Our Own Correspondent). • The Anzac memorial service at Matapu was conducted by the Rev. Mr inglis. ' Hymns selected, were: “All People that’oil Earth Do Dwell,” ‘‘God of Bethe 1 ,” and ”0' God Our Help in Ages Past.” In offering up prayer, the speaker asked God to bless the League of Nations and all those people throughout; the world who were endeavouring to make everlasting peace amongst all nations. The address was dehvered from. John 3. 16 ■ “And God so loved the- world tliat He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” “This great day of remembrance being lie Id all over Australasia and other parts of the Empire,” said the speaker, “must bring the sad but true thought to our minds, that the landing at Gallipoli was a magnificent failure. \\e must to & certain extent sympathise with the relatives of the enemy’s great army pf dead, for the mothers and. fathers of Germany who live to mourn their 'oss have hearts just the same as the parents of our dead Anzaos. >ve thank God that in the hour of need our boys nobly answered the call and went over there to fight and -die for _ the cause of righteousness; but it brings but little comfort to opr minds to think that those responsible for the outrage must some day receive their punishment. We cou’d not help but feel when we parted from our boys that in. a 1! probability we would never see them again in this world. There are .many sad hearts all over the world to-day; but it is no use of us collecting together our brass bands and our uniformed regiments unless we are prepared to take to heart the great lesson that our dying soldiers -have taught us —love. ' God is a God of love, not of hatred, ill-will and indifference. We pray that the great sacrifice of our soldiers has ended wars, and that the world shall for ever be a world of peace, love and harmony.” Mr Inglis dealt at considerable length with the great need for universal love and devotion, and in conclusion. <he said : “Before the- war there were- niany people who were quite prepared: to sing ‘Britons Never shall be Slaves,’ but when the opportunity arose for them to prove their love, devotion and patriotism they did nothing, whereas those soldiers who went out to the battlefield to fight and die for freedom had done something. Truly, greater ’ov e hath no man than this.” Several beautiful wreaths were placed at the base of the school memorial, and then the people quietly dispersed, happy in the thought that they, with hundreds of thousands of others, had fittingly remembered those brave men who had gone forth from their homes and had laid down their fives for a noble cause. WAVERLEY. , (From Our Own Correspondent). On Sunday afternoon the Town Hall was taxed to its utmost to accommodate the large number assembled to pay tribute to the memory of Anzac. The gathering contained many ex-ser-vice men. while the Territorials of the district paraded under Captain Bates Harvey. The lesson for the day was read by the, Rev. Mr Kelly, who also led in prayer. The main address was delivered, l>v the Rev. Mr Dabourne, who spoke from the text, “Those that go down to the sea in ships.” He reminded his hearers that we are part of a great and glorious Empire built up by a peop'e -who have cherished Christianity and liberty as great ideals,. In massing, he referred to the British Navy’s part in the Great War, and the indebtedness of every nation of the Allies to this-truly wonderful organisation. Self-sacrifice was the dominant note of the Britisher shown at. Anzac by air arms in the .war, and to-day by the nation in meeting its war obligations as well - as those of its Allies. Mr Dabourne appealed to his hearers to live for their country even as the Anazcs died, in the spirit of self-sacri-fice. He urged all to cherish the true Christian ideals, to live for home, to teach the children and build a. solid race that would arise prepared to fight for all that had been fought; for and won so dearly. He had implicit'faith that so long as Britain clung to these ideals, she would continue to lead the world as she had done for past centuries.

The sounding of the “Last Post” concluded a. most impressive service. Ex-servicemen and Territorials, at the conclusion of th e memorial service, marched to- the war. ineniorial, where wreaths were placed.