ANZAC DAY

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVII, Issue 125, 26 April 1927, Page 8

ANZAC DAY

OBSERVANCE AT RONGOTEA. [From Our Own Correspondent.] RONGOTEA, April 26. The Coronation Hall at Rongotea • was crowded yesterday afternoon for the Anzac Day service. Mr W. J. Croucher presided, and the Salvation Army Band from Palmerston North accompanied the singing and also played selections.' Rev. W. S. Tremaine read the. lesson and Adjutant Hawkes led the congregatidh in prayer. Mr L. H. Yarrall briefly addressed the gathering, outlining the struggles of New Zealand towards nationhood. Rev. Harold T. Peat, of. Palmerston North, delivered a forceful address on “The Message of Anzac Day.” “In this solmen service before Almighty God, we hold in sacred remembrance the willing sacrifice of those millions of men and women who laid down their lives for honour and for freedom,” he said. “Especially do we cherish the memory of those who went from this district, but who did not return; their names will live for generations imperishably engraved in the hearts of a grateful people. Anzac commemoration services will ever be instinct with a sense of the solemn and poignant memories of that first great baptism of fire. Twelve years ago to-day the first Anzac day dawned, the red dawn of a day of sacrifice, of superhuman effort, and splendid chivalry. To-day throughout Australia and New Zealand, ' and in other parts of the world, memorial services will be held to commemorate that wonderful sacrifice. It it altogether fitting that we should remember. To forget were to live beneath the dignity of our manhood and. womanhood. The wonder of that sacrifice" must not be dimmed with the passing years. This day must ever be kept to the memory of our glorious dead. It i 3 a holy day, not a holiday. In the latter end of the 19th century, and in the early years of‘ the 20th, the world was grievously sick, suffering from the malady of wrong ideas —the most dreadful disease that can afflict the children of men. This sickness was the cumulative effect of- wrong thinking. Foolish men had been taking of war, as though war were the inevitable. Thus by almost imperceptible degrees international suspicion and hatred gained the ascendancy. The late Professor James of Harvard University, declared- that what the world required- was a moral equivalent for war. That is, that instead of seeking to kill one another, men should seek to kill out the evil in their own lives. This was but another way of enunciating the truth so beautifully revealed by Jesus Christ. At that period in the world’s history', just prior to 1914, the malady of wrong ideas had become very virulent. Then it was that foolish men, some of them claiming to be followers of the lowly Nazarene, persisted in stating that this was the devil’s world. Some schools of supposedly Christian thought persistently reiterated this iniquitous dootrine, blissfully ignorant in their benighted minds that they were disloyal to their master, and were playing into*- the hands of the anti-Christ. This world. is God’s world. He created it, and gave His Son' to redeem it. Thus our Ford was wounded in the house of His friends, who in their pious smugness" were prepared sanctimoniously to hand over God’s property to the enemy of our souls. Unfortunately, that school is not yet dead. There are people living to-day whose chief delight seems to be to search the Scriptures for proof texts in support of this policy of surrender. They seem to be banefully ignorant of the fact that almost anything'can be proved by wresting the Scripture. This world is not the devil’s world, and it is our job, under God, to see that it is kept sweet and clean for Christ— the Prince of Peace. God has entrusted us with a most sacred power—the power of the thought forces. Every, time we suggest that this is the devil’s world, we but add fuel to the fire of international discontent already smouldering. If that smouldering fire, fed by foolish thought, should again burst into flames in a world war, the sanctimonious pietists would again whine “I told you so.” Yet this very policy of surrendering the world to the enemy of humanity is primarily responsible for evil thought gaining the ascendancy. Jesus said to His followers “Ye are the salt of the earth.’ The function of salt as here suggested is to keep that sweet which otherwise would become tainted and foul. If it be true that this world is going to the devil, then the responsibility lies at our own door, because we stand commissioned by our Lord to keep the world sweet. A realisation of this tremendous fact should lead to a revision of theology on the part g>( those who so glibly and piously affirm that the world is going to the dogs, and who so readily endeavour to quote texts in support of this doctrine of pessimism. Jesus Christ is not being defeated. His cause will yet triumph till naitons own His regal sway. The men whose memories we honour today laid down their lives to emphasise the everlasting difference between- right and wrong. Shall these millions of dead have died in vain? Forbid it, Almighty God. As a great civilian army they went forth into the hell of war—and it was hell, hell with the lid off. They went in defence of home and freedom, lest civilisation perish from the earth. In that awful conflict souls were flung white-hot into eternity. From their dying hands they flung to us the torch of light and honour and liberty. From Gallipoli and Mesopotamia; from Egypt and Palestine; -from Belgium and from France; from all the battlefields of the war, there comes the mute appeal of those who nobly striving nobly fell. Their appeal is vibrant with the note of command. Ours is the task to grasp the torch and hold it high. It is for us, the living, to see that these dead shall not have died in vain. We cherish their memories, and pledge ourselves anew to live for those ideals for which they died. They died to honour the flag—that flag which i 3 the symbol of our Empire, and of the freedom of the homes we call our own. As they died to honour it, let us live to uphold it. One of the most beautiful war pictures I ever saw was that of- a dying soldier on the battlefield, clasping to his lips the Union Jack, and exclaiming—“ England, my England.” Listen, you men and women who have named the name of Christ, the symbol of our holy religion is the Cross. The Christ of that cro»s is the Prince of Peace. Let us in our lives be loyal to Him of whom it is recorded in the Scriptures—‘He shall reign from the river unto the ends of tho earth.’ He must reign until the kingdom of this wofld becomes the Kingdom of Gdd and of His Christ.’ Does that sound like the defeat of Christ ? % Does that suggest that this world is the- devil’s world? Let us use our best endeavours to proclaim His evangel. There is no other hope for humanity apart from His teachings. He came to reveal the Fatherhood of God; the Brotherhood of man; the Saviourhood of Christ. Let us spend and be spent in the proclamation of these truths. Thus shall we make our contribution to the prot h f world, and when life’s tasks on inhwvf te u’ S ,' a ] bo P re P ar ed to pass on into the hand of the Infinite God.”

memorial service at foxton (From our own Correspondent) FOXTON, April 26 Anzao Day was fittingly celebrated in Foxton yesterday. The arrangements for the afternoon service were carried out bv til© local committee of the Returned Soldiers’ Association, assisted by the Mayor and ministers of the local churches. The Silver Band, augmented by the Salvation Army Band, and conducted by Mr Tongs, added greatly to the impressiveness of the occasion. The first service was held at the District High School at 10 a.m., when an appropriate programme, arranged by the headmaster (Mr T. A. Mason), was carried out. Those in attendance were the school children, Scouts, Girl Guides, < Trainees, par- \ ents, the Mayor and Mayoress, Captain ' Yeo, members of the committee and public. Tho hymns, “O God v our Help in Vgps Past’.’ alnd “Onward, Christian Solars,” were sung and a Scripture lesson d by Rev. W. H. Nicholas. Prayer and Benediction were given by Rev. W. "aiton An appropriate address was sd lay Rev. S. Peryfnjn, and brief i by Messrs J. K. Homblow and \ Nana (Maori Pioneers),, The school % tour was read by the head-

muter ‘and floral tributes placed at the foot of the tablet by the children. The flag was saluted, the National Anthem sung and the Last Post sounded by Sergt.Bugler B. Walls. AFTERNOON SERVICE. Main Street was with people ishortly after 2 p.m. to witness the parade of returned soldiers, veterans, firebrigade, friendly societies. Scouts, girl guides, and Brownies, headed by the combined bands. At the Town Hall there was a very, large attendance. The stage was occupied by the combined bands, which accompanied the singing, the Mayor (Mr M. E. Perreau), Captain Yeo, Capt. J. M. Stewart, Revs. * Walton (Anglicain), Nicholas (Presbyterialn), S. Peryman (Methodist) and Adjutant Samson (Salvation Army). After the National Anthem had been sung, the Mayor briefly addressed the assemblage. The hymn “0 God our Help in Ages Past” was then sung, following by a prayer by Rev. Peryman. Kipling’s “Recessional” was then sung, followed by Scripture readings by Adjutant Samson (Romans VIII.) and Mr Nicholas (John XIV.). Mr 3 Yeo. sang “Land of Hope and Glory” and this was followed by a stirring address by Capt. J. M. Stewart (Palmerston North). At the conclusion of the service tho returned. soldiers marched, to the memorial were many beautiful wreaths were laid in remembrance of the fallen and the “Last Post” sounded by Sergt. Bugler B. Walls.

AT AOKAUTERE. [From Our Own Correspondent.] AOKAUTERE, April 26. At Aokautere the service was conducted by Rev. G. W. Dent in the schoolhbuse. The speaker addressed the gathering upon the meaning of Anzac Day and urged the children present to take a lesson from the service and sacrifice of the troops at the Great War. Wreaths were then placed upon tho memorial at'the school and the service concluded with the singing of the National Anthem. • BAINESSE. \

(From Our Own Correspondent.) BAINESSE, April 2b. Anzac Day was observed yesterday at the school by the children in a most fitting manner. Mr S&ndle (head teacher) arranged a most appropriate service in the morning when a large muster of children were present to take part, therq, being only three pupils absent. After saluting the flag which was lowered to half mast, the children marched into school to the strains of the “Dead March” (Saul). Tho musio for the service was played by Miss McKenzie. ," . . The service opened with the National Anthem followed by prayer and hymns Mr H. Millard (chairman of tho committee) addressed the children and explained the meaning of Anzac Day and the duty of the children of the present day. Tho meaning of two minutes silence was also explained and carried out. The drapings were in purple and black ■ and were carried out by Miss McKenzie who also made a beautiful wreath from the flowers of the school gardens and this was laid in a suitable position. Tho proceedings were most inspiring and were listened *to most attentively, by the children who seemed to fully realise tho solemnity of the procedure to. revere ’the dead. ’ The programme was as follows :—Dead March (Saul); National Anthem, and Saluting the Flag; two minutes silenoo; recitation. “In Flander’s Fields” (Agnes Tennent); 6ong, “Anzac,” school; Hymn,, “O God our Help,” school; recitation, “Soldier Rest” (Eric Caske); New Zealand National Anthem; songs, “There’s a Land,” and “Land of Hope of Glory,” school; recitation, “Honour” (Ada Thompson)) reading of Scripture, Mr Sandle; The,Lord’s Prayer; address, Mr Millard; recitation, “Peace,” Willie Tutty; hymn, “Abide With Me,” school; Kipling’s “Recessional”; Chopins, “Marche Fanebre.” * SERVICES AT FEILDING. (Special to “Standard.”) FEILDING, April 26. Anzac , Day was appropriately observed yesterday in Feilding both by a public memorial service in the afternoon and one at the Anglican Church in the morning. A largo assemblage of the public gathered round the memorial in Manchester Square in the afternnon where a very eloquent and touching service was delivered by Revs. Miller, Mitchell, Gardiner and the Salvation Army officers. The singing was led by the Salvation Army Band and at the conclusion a large number of beautiful floral tokens were laid at the foot of the monument. _ , , . The service at St. John’s Church m the morning was attended by a good muster of ex-service men who paraded in Manchester Square and marched to the church headed by the Salvation Army Band. The church was crowded and the vicar (Rev. Canon Petrie), who chose for his sermon the text, Romans vin., 12, “We Are Debtors,” gave a very stirring address. Following the service the soldiers, with their families, were entertained at the Parish Hall by the ladies’ committee.