Homage Paid to Those Who Gave Lives in War

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 96, 26 April 1939, Page 6

Homage Paid to Those Who Gave Lives in War

Big Attendance at Palmerston North Services Memories of Anzac and the sacrifices made during the Great War were recalled throughout New Zealand and Australia yesterday, when the people united in paying tribute to those who lay down their lives. Services were held in all centres and there were many pilgrimages to cenotaphs and cemeteries. In Palmerston North there were big attendances at all functions and at the principal one, the service at the Opera House, numbers had to be turned away because of lack of accommodation. Throughout the day there was a steady stream of people to the soldiers’ memorial in the Square and at the foot were laitf many beautiful floral tributes.

The procession which preceded the service at the Opera House was the biggest for a number of years, over 1000 being on parade. Included in it were the Garrison, City and Pipe Bands, members of the Returned Soldiers* Association (numbering about 350), South African and Maori War veterans, Manawatu Squadron of the Legion of Frontiersmen, Eighth Battery, New Zealand Artillery, Manawatu Mounted Hides, and High School and Technical School cadets. With the Garrison Band at the head, the procession marched from George Street and Coleman Place via the Soldiers* Memorial to the Opera House, being followed by a large number of citizens. Bpv. J. Milburn Stewart, of Christchurch and formerly of Palmerston North, was the speaker at the Opera House. The service included appropriate hymns and prayers; portions of the Scriptures, and concluded with the sounding of * ‘ The Last Post * * and ‘ ‘ Reveille.** Day That Made Dominion Great. * * There are days in the history of our nation that call for great demonstrations of patriotism, for praise of physical powers, for the development of Empire consciousness,'* said the speaker. “But Anzac Day is different. No oratory is adequate on this day. It stands clearly and distinctly as the day that made our Dominion great—a day that must not be forgotten. It is suggestive of that spiritual something which even an apostle found it not lawful to utter. It is an instinct with life for which there is no language. It brings a remembrance which is reverential to the point of holy awe. It turns the eyes of the mind towards a prophetic vision of which there is yet no vulgar vocabulary. This day marks the dawn of a new dispensation. In silence memory exercises its ministry on its own share of life, the soul finds its way to the invisible real. Into every quiet mind there comes some larger life, a sense of infinite fellowship, a spiritual communion with those of our circle that sit out of sight. Yet there are many, an increasing number, of people, who say that these services of remembrance ought to cease.

“These men died convinced that they were not fighting a sister nation, but a false idea. There was no vindictive hatred in their hearts towards the soldiers of the opposing nation, no more than you at the present moment bear , hatred in your hearts towards the people of Germany or Italy. But you ( certainly bear no love toward those who would again plunge the world into war. “I can bear personal tribute to the men who served in our front line trenches and their attitude to the enemy soldiers. I served not as a padre, but as a fighting soldier on the Western Front. Not once did I see a single instance where German prisoners were ill-treated. Friend and foe alike received the same care and attention.

“I am convinced that so far as the men themselves were concerned the war was almoss an impersonal thing. They had accepted the teaching—and who can doubt its truth!—that Germany believed she was destined to rule the world by the power of the sword, and that Britain stood, as she stands to-day, for the defence of the weak and the freedom of mankind. For that ideal the living and the dead risked all they held dear and for that ideal those whom we remember to-day died. Not among those men did one hear the blaring jingoistic note. No. One had to come home for that.

World on Edge of Abyss. “We are to-day living on the edge of an abyss. We know not what a day may bring forth. There is fear and hatred once again being shown by the nations, not because our elder brothers died, but because we have not caught their spirit. Ever since November 13, 3918, we have been insisting on guaran tees. The various Governments gave no guarantees when they sent them to the front, but they went and their going provided both a challenge and an example. If humanity is one, and if it is right to trust the men of other nations as brethren, why insist on guarantees, that we shall not suffer before we do the right thing. “You men were told that a soldier's duty was to obey orders, regardless of costs. Obedience to you meant marching straight into the face of death, but you inarched. We claim to be soldiers of a great Empire, but we are also soldiers of the Prince of Peace. Surely it is our duty to obey orders. That Prince

“Year after year as Anzac Day comes round and as we march through the streets of our eities and towns, I do not know what your feelings are, but I have a wonderful experience. We have in our parades men of all religious denominations and no doubt a goodly number of men who attend no other service in the course of the year. Is it significant that this latter type, as they remember those who went ‘west,* should want to pray. “There is no trace of jingoism as we march along the stret. This is, however, clearly evident: That you men hold your comrades in the highest honour and you count it a privilege to pay tribute to their memory. Pacing the Realities.

commands us to love our enemies. Our duty then is to march out under Hi 3 orders, to destroy these moods and tempers which are too frequently at tlio present moment allowed places in our hearts. This calls for real sacrifice, the kind of sacrifice these men made when they walked out in our name instead. I plead, then, for thanksgiving and for penitence—thanksgiving that in the hour of need of nation did not call in vain, thanksgiving that these men died, not with hatred in their hearts, but for a great ideal. Summons to Take Up Task. “The men whom we affectionately and tenderly remember to-day yet speak to us. They summon us to cast our dreams of case away and to take up the task and complete that task for which they gave their lives. They died for the Empire. They did more than that. They died for the peace c*f the world. The best way we can honour them and their memory is by doiug all we possibly can to make this Dominion, as portion of a great Empire, worthy of their sacrifice by helping to create a peace-loving world. “Let us then on this Anzac Day seek to reconsecrate ourselves and our national unity in the name of ‘Our Father Who Art in Heaven* and who gave us the victory and as the people living in a portion of that great Empire and a Christian race. Let us pledge ourselves, no matter how the war clouds may be banking up, to use our strength and the fruits of our victory which was achieved for us in an effort still to secure the peace of the world and that soon those who are trying to bring the nations to war may see its futility and that war shall be no more. “God save the King. God save the people. God weld our Empire into an evermore intimate fellowship, into the intimacy of an ever happier Commonwealth, a Commonwealth whose bond is righteousness and our experience shall be joy and peace for evermore.** SERVICE AT THE CENOTAPH The Manawatu Squadron of the

“ But we have to remember that ninetenths of the population have no such background as the returned soldiers,’* said the speaker. “I think it is safe to say that fully one-third of the population to-day cannot remember the Great War. If these people found themselves in the midst of a world of peace, a world from which hatred, suspicion and poverty had been swept away, they might then be constrained to believe it to be a fitting thing to remember the men who fought and died that they might live. As it is, however, they see the war clouds banking up in Europe. They hear both the politicians r.nd the economists tracing back all the ills and fears which spell suffering to them to the war. They hear preaching that war is contrary to the Christian religion. And all this has tended to convey to them the impression that the lnen who served were poor, misguided militarists. There is little marvel that they ask: Why should we be silentf Why should we keep Anzac Day as a holy dayf

“Let me answer such arguments by reminding those who feel it a burden to keep Anzac Day that nearly a million men laid down their lives in the awful ctr uggle for the Empire. Yet to-day we are almost compelled, wheu we hear of all that is happening in the world, to think that they died in vain. But is that their fault If only the nations had cherished their ideals and had caught something of that spirit, we would long ere this have established peace afiiong the nations.

Legion of Frontiersmen and the Manawatu Scottish Society Pipe Band held a short service at the Cenotaph in the Square at 9 a.m., conducted by Rev. R. Warlock, of St. David's Church, Terrace End. Drum-Major J. Peterana, of the Manawatu Scottish Society Pipe Band, and Lieutenant D. Kenny, of the Legion of Frontiersmen, placed wreaths on the Cenotaph. At the conclusion of the service the squadron and band went to Ashhurst to participate in the service there.

Among the numerous wreaths on the Cenotaph, as well as many private emblems, were those placed there by the Palmerston North branch of the Returned Soldiers* Association, the Palmerston North branch of the New Zealand Registered Nurses' Association, the Red Cross Society, the Manawatu Squadron of the Legion of Frontiersmen, the Mayor, councillors and citizens of Palmerston North, the Manawatu Patriotic Society, the Manawatu Scottish Society Pipe Band, the nurses trained at the Palmerston North Hospital, the Takaro Rover Scouts, Te Awe Awe Wolf Cub pack, Palmerston North Boys’ High School, Technical High School and Central, College Street, Russell Street, Terrace End, West End, Fitzherbert West, HoKowliitu and Milson schools. During the morning the executive of the Palmerston North branch of the Returned Soldiers’ Association collected wreaths from the Central and Terrace End schools which they placed on soldiers* plots at the Palmerston North and Kelvin Grove cemeteries. SUCCESSFUL ANZAC CONCERT RECEIPTS SET A RECORD Record receipts were a feature of the Anzac concert held in the Regent Theatre last evening. There was a packed house which appreciated to the full the very fine programme offered. A radio concert party from Wellington assisted with the entertainment. Thanks to those who had assisted with the sale of poppies on the recent street day and to the public for their co-operation and assistance then, as well as last evening, were returned by Mr. J. W. Rutherfurd. The receipts last evening amounted to £7B 6s Id and in the afternoon at the Opera House to £lB 16s lid. These amounts are to be devoted to Anzac Day expenses and the graves fund. The programme was as follows: — orchestral, selected numbers, Larkin’s orchestra; song, “Dear Heart of Mine” (Burrows), Mr. Reg. Morgan; song, “Amarilla,** Miss Sarah Stacpoole; humour, “The Charge of the Light Brigade," Mr. Stan. Asquith; song, “The Floral Dance," Mr. Barend Harris; novelty item, “ It *s a Sin to Tell a Lie ’ * (musical saw)> Mr. George Moffatt; songs, “Pipes of Pan (Monckton) and “Love Everlasting" (Frinl), Mrs. K. W. Eglintou; duet, “Bird Songs at Eventide" (Coates), Miss Sarah Stacpoole and Air. Reg. Alorgan; novelty item, “Dance Apache," Air. W. Allan; song, “Trees" (Arr. Alorgan), Mr. Reg. Alorgan; humour, “Five Alinutes in a Barnyard," Air. Stan. Asquith; song, “Changing of the Guard," Air. Barend Harris; selected, Huia Straight Eight.