THE SPIRIT OF ANZAC

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 5 January 1935, Page 5

THE SPIRIT OF ANZAC

SIR. A. GODLEY’S TRIBUTE NEW ZEALAND SOLDIERS (By Telegraph—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, Jan. 4. At a civic reception, Sir Alexander Godley, speaking of the Melbourne conference of ex-servicemen, said that the associations throughout the Empire, co-ordinated by the British Empire Service League, were a very great institution, and were doing good work. It was an enormous pleasure to find from the conference and by various other ways that the spirit of Anzac was very much emphasised and strengthened, if it needed strengthening. Throughout Australia and already during his short period in New Zealand he had found that spirit of Anzac was growing. Day by day as the years went by the spirit of comradeship and the best remembrances of the qualities of the soldiers who had fought for Australia and New Zealand in the war was being more brought out and becoming of greater value to the Empire. There were no troops in the Great War who had fought so gallantly or so steadily, or had left the theatres of war with a greater reputation than the New Zealand soldiers. He did not say that because he was addressing a New Zealand audience. It was a fact. It was not only his own opinion, because his opinion was supported by others who had not known of his connection with New Zealand. He took the opportunity of thanking Sir James Allen in his own city for the great help he had given him at all times during his command. He could not have served under a better or kinder master. Sir James’s help was unfailing. His interest and his work for New Zealand ' was greater probably than the public realised. If he had not given such help these wonderful results could not have been achieved.