ANZAC DAY

Northern Advocate, 26 April 1921, Page 5

ANZAC DAY

NOTABLE OBSERVANCES

WALTON AND PLYMOUTH HOE

PILGRIMAGES TO GRAVES

(Received 9 a.m.)

LONDON, April 25

An Anzac service wiasi held on Sunday on Plymouth Hoe, also at Walton, where 30,000 wounded New Zealanders were nursed. The banner which Wlalton, New Zealand, presented, bearing the name s of the fallen, was carried at the head of the procession, which deposited flowers on the Anzacs' graves, Similar services and pilgrimages to graves have been arranged by other place?, for to-day.—A. and N.Z-

CHURCHILL'S HEALTH.

"A SYMPATHETIC FRIEND.'' (Received 1 p.m.) LONDON, April 20. Mr Clmrchill was the chief guest of the Australian and New Zealand Club's Ar.z.ic Day luncheon at the Connaught. Rooms. Sir .Tames Mill;? presided, the assembly including Sir .T. Allen, the Agents-General, Lord Deeies ; General Godley, and Sir lan Hamilton, tlie guesta for a moment standing iu silence in memory of the Anzacs.

In proposing the '".oust of Mr Churchill's health, Sir J. Mills said that the dominions would find him as equally able and sympathetic a friend as his predecessors'. He was taking up.his new duties at an eventful period when the dominions wcro in the process of altering their status and were now claiming to be sister nations under one King and flag. Though they were prepared to bear a fair slmre in tlic defencc of the Empire they were remaining at the same time free to pursue their own destinies'. —A. mid N.Z.

THE REAL LEAGUE

■EAjIL HAIG'S VIEWS. (Received 1 p.m.) CAPETOWN, April 25. Many people visited the cemetery and placed wreaths on the graves of Austi'alian and New Zealand soldier? who died here. Earl Haig, in dedicating a memorial at Port Elizabeth to the South African Artillery Corps said that he regarded the conference of ex-service men recently held at Capetown as an event of the very first importance to our race. The British Empire was a real League of Nations. By coming more closely together they could hope to prevent wars.—A. and N.Z.

IN AUSTRALIA. SYDNEY'S TRIBUTE. (Received 9.5 a.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. Anzae Day was celebrated by a special service at the Town Hall, which was attfended by the Governor. General and naval and military detachments. —A. and N.Z. "SPIRIT OF WAR." A MELBOURNE iSTATUE. -i ('Received 11 a.m.) MELBOURNE, This Day. In connection with/the Anzav Day celebrations Mr Hughes unveiled a fine bronze statue representing the Spirit of War, erected in front of Parliament House. In a tribute to, the Anzacs he declared that the landing wias an imperishable event marking a new era in the history of the British Empire.—A. and N.Z.

GENERAL OBSERVANCE. PROCESSIONS AND iSERVICES. WELLINGTON, This Day. Anzac Day was generally observed throughout the Dominion yesterday as a close holiday. Processions and religious memorial servic.es were held at most places, and at Thames the Governor-General addressed the returned men. —Press Assn. FROM ANZAC COVE. TO DOMINION COMRADE'S. WELLINGTON, This Day. The Defence Department received the following cable message from General Hunter.Weston, from Chanak, Gallipoli:— "Please have the following publish, ed so as to reach as many of our comrades in New Zealand as possible; "To the survivors of those who fought at the Dardanelles on this sixth anniversary .of the original landings, and in the name of the sailors and soldiers and airmen of the Home Country who fought by your side I, the old commander of the 29th Division am participating in •the commemoration service held at Anzac Cove and am laying on the site of your glorious achievement a wreath of wild •flowers gathered from the soil made for ever sacred to us by the blood shed in the Empire's cause. May we who have survived do our best to spread the spirit of cheerfulness and self sacrifice, of devotion to duty and comradeship, which they so gloriously exemplified, and so help to attain the ideals for which we fought."

THE KING'S MESSAGE. DOMINION'S LOYAL REPLY. AUCKLAND, This Day. The Governor-'General sent the following: reply to the message from the King to the people of New Zealand on the occasion of Ansae Day:— "On behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand I beg to express to your Majesty grateful appreciation of your sympathy, and to renew their assurance that the loyalty which the New Zealand soldiers proved on the first Anzac Day reivrJn"' undiminished throughout the Dominion of New Zealand." —Pros? Assn.

'SERVICE AT CHRIST 'CHURCH

AN IMPRESSIVE TRIBUTE

At Christ Church, Whangarei, last evening an Anzac Day memorial service was held. The congregation more than filled every seat that could be crowded into the building, returned soldiers attending in large numbers. The Rev. G. C- Crickshank conducted the service, and the lessons were read by the Rev. R. H. Johnson. The scrvice was opened with a verse of the National Anthem, which was followed by the hymn, "Let Saints on Earth." Mr Cruickshank then explained that the service was divided into three parts. The first was an expression of devotion and loyalty, symbolised by the singing of the National Anthem; the second part was a solemn tribute to the honoured dead; the third part was a service of thanksgiving and joyous hope. The second part of the service was then proceeded with. The General Confession, the Absolution and the Lord's Prayer were said, and two prayers which had been used on active service, and were still applicable, as Mr Cruickshank pointed out. After a psalm had been sung Mr Johnson read the first lesson, and Mr Cruickshank then gave an address, paying an impressive tribute to the Anzacs and all the men who had fought and fallen in the war. This portion of the service was concluded with the Dead March in "Saul," played by the organist, Mr W- R- J. Moody, the congregation standing. j Then came the. third part of the service, which included the singing of the Magnificat, the reading of the second lesson, and the recital of the Creed. Two Easter hymns were sung—"On the resurrection morning" and "Alleluia, alleluia." After the Benediction the hymn, "For ,all the saints'" was sung, and the service closed With the "Nunc dimittis."

HIK'URAN'GI COMMEMORATION

A most impressive combined service was held in the Hikurangi Public Hall yesterday at 11 a.m. About 4(V returned soldiers paraded; and marched into the hall, where front seats were reserved for them- The hail was filled with sympathisers of the movement. The service was conducted by Revs. C. Nicholas (Anglican), D. McNeur (Presbyterian), and Paine (Methodist). The service comprised the National Anthem, General Confession, Lord's Prayer, hymns—"o, God our Help/' "Lead Kindly Light" and "For all the Saints" —'and special addresses by Mr A. M. Rust and Rev. D. McNeur. The text of Mr Rust's address was a s follows: —

"Fellow travellers along the highway of life, I would that I could .speak all I feel, but it is uiy highest honour and proudest privilege to have an opportunity of saying a few words on behalf of my beloved Anzac brethren and sisters here to-day. Our service should be marked with the utmost solemnity, but not marred with undue sadness. Our sublime Burial Service is a solemn ceremony, but it breathes out words of everlasting hopej and never-ending joy. I take a few words from it round which to weave my necessarily brief remarks: "They are Christ's, the first fruits, afterwards they that are-Christ's"; or in simpler form, Christ the first example, afterwards those who copy him- But who are they. Those who attend church regularly? Not necessarily. Who sing hymns and shout Halelluja/i? Perhaps. Who do not attend chureii. but prefer to stay at home and nurse their own self-righteousness? T wot not. Who belong to some particular denomination? No. They come out of every nation, and kindred, and creed and tongue. There is only one i true clas s of Christians in the world, and they are those who live t 0 serve j and make sacrifices for their fellows. And first amongst them I would [ place beloved Anzac brothers and tei" who copied the Christ life by J their service and sacrifice so nobly given and done, and whose memory we revere and commemorate here to-day- I include all and nurses, and I am certain the returned soldiers would think me re • mis's if I did not include the 'women at home,' who by their gifts helped in some way to cheer the boy s in the trenches. Some are sleeping in their lowly graves across the sea, and I pray God to bles s and comfort every sad and sorrowing heart of their bereaved ones here and everywhere today- But we are not without hope and joy on their account. Methinks, TO in John's wonderful vision in the Revelation, I see them all amongst the great white throng' of whom it was asked? "Who are these arrayed in white?" And the answer, "These are they who have come out of great tribulation." Dare we doubt, then, wliere they are. now? But they are

[ not dead. They are here with the ! living- to-day and I hear their voices calling-, 'Go thou and do likewise.' And what of the living? I salute them all, the living and the dead, and am convinced that those who were spared to return have a mission which they will nobly and manfully fulfil, viz.: to teach us how to live the true Christian life of noble and yet nobler service and sacrifice for the cause of humanity, in whose breast throbs the great human heart of the Christ-man. — We may not draw aside the mystic veil That hide:; the great future from our sight, Nor know if wait= for us the «iark or light; But we can tru i ;t." The sounding of the "Last Post" brought to a close what was perhaps the most impressive and appropriate service held in the district-