The Hawera Star. TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 1928. ANZAC DAY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 24 April 1928, Page 4

The Hawera Star.

TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 1928. ANZAC DAY.

Delivered every evening by 5 o'oiook in nawera. Manair,. Normanby, Okaiawa. Eltham. Mangatoki. Kaponga, Alton, Hurley ville Patea. Waverley. Mokoia. Whakamara, Ohangai, Mereiuere. Prase* Boad. and Ararata.

One ineradicable image of the Great War which remains, common to all who lived through that dread period of four years, is that war is a crucible into which the values which men hold dear throughout their lives are poured, there to be tested l , and remade. Some of these values are proved false when the testing time comes; others arc found to bo dear beyond price and they survive, even though those who hold them should die. The barriers which exist between mankind go down before the onslaught of war and new ones arise, built on the foundations provided by the new standards of honesty, tolerance, courage and selflessness. During times of war the simple way becomes the logical way, even for men and women who take no “part in actual warfare, for the example of those who sacrifice their all in the grim struggle on the field of battle provides a new principle of life which is found- to be applicable to civilian, ways. Thus it is- we find that in a time of pestilence following upon a period of war, civilian -mankind- finds itself capable of rising to the finest heights of sacrifice and labour and courage. But when wars cease and pestilence subsides, the incentive to live on the heights disappears, and men accept the old values which could not survive when a common danger threatened. Then there arises a fear that the gold which emerged (from the crucible will again be lost under the dross. There remain, however, certain memories of which the generation alive to-day cannot be robbed, and it is these memories which keep sweet their -faith in the usefulness and the purpose of life. For New Zealanders and Australians there is one sac Ted day for the revival of memories, and to-morrow will find, all ranks of society in both countries uniting m observances which require no elucidation for them, or indeed for any British subject. Anzac Day stands out in our national calendar. There are many other days of observance- during the year, days which commemorate some incident of great portent in the life of the nation, but to the people of the British Commonwealth there are two which will remain forever sacred —the anniversary of the landing of Imperial and Colonial troops on- Gallipoli, and Armistice Day. Many others of our national days have become festivals and •have little real meaning for the great majority; they provide a welcome respite from the routine of living and are on that account hailed: with delight and celebrated by the pursuit of pleasure. But Anzac Day strikes a deeper note, and it is certain that so long as survive the generations whose lives have been touched by the Great War ,it will retain its place as one of the few really sacred days of observance for British people. It is with no desire to glorify war that our leaders in religious thought turn our minds back to those days when; the. young and the gallant went forth with singing hearts to do battle for the cause which Our nation ■had at heart; it is with no intention of making the heroism of war appear more attractive than the heroism of living amidst -prosaic surroundings that wo are reminded many men went to war with sadness and a full sense of responsibility; but it is because all our soldiers, of whatever temperament, both grave and gay, suffered similarly for a cause that was no more theirs- to defend than it was every other living Britisher’s, that we honour their example and take fresh courage from reflection tipon their qualities. We can interpret that -example as rising from many of the finest qualities with which human nature is 1 endowed, but there is one quality which must be common to all men who sacrifice their lives in a common cause, the quality of charity, love or tolerance. The observances to-morrow should remind us that even- as we found our fellows not wanting in all the finer qualities when the testing time came thirteen years ago, so may we find them again in the future—and to-day.