Lord Bledisloe’s Empire Day Message

Northern Advocate, 24 May 1939, Page 9

Lord Bledisloe’s Empire Day Message

[Special to “Northern Advocate ” 3 AUCKLAND, This Day.

An Empire Day message from Viscount Eledisloe, president of the Empire Day Movement, was read at the Empire Day gathering in Auckland to-day. It was as follows:—“Once more, as president of the; Empire Day Movement, I send you warm greetings, coupled with the earnest hope that the flame of loyalty to the Crown and of patriotic devotion to our world-wide Empire burns as brightly as over in your hearts and lives. “The spirit of service is, above all, that which should animate to-day all those who belong to our British Commonwealth of Nations, and who arc proud of its traditions, its ideals, and its incomparable mission upon earth. “Such service includes the service of God, the service of the State, and the service of our fellow-men, particularly those of every race, colour and creed who share our Imperial heritage. To-day’s Responsibility. “Cur British people are generously endowed with the priceless benefits, just laws and the mutual confidence which flows from unfettered democracy. “But, commensurate with our privileges, is the greatest of our responsibilities. Upon the courageous shouldering of these responsibilites depends the solidarity and integrity of the British Empire, and, with it, the future peace and prosperity of the world.

“Confronted with international omnity and misunderstanding, widespread human tribulations and unrest, let us remain true to our traditions and ideals, prepared to follow with undaunted courage the path of duty, wherever it may load. “Never have the various parts of the Empire been more closely linked m fraternal affection, more solid in their sympathies or mutually trustful, than they are to-day. and the whole human family has derived benefit from their friendly co-operation. Remain Loyal to Faith, “Let us. above all. hold fast to the anchorage of truth and righteousness. Let us, each and all, young and old, this Empire Day, in face of a tendency in many lands to accept a lower standard of faith and conduct than that j which has hitherto guided the civilised world, bravely resolve to remain steadfastly loyal to the faith of our fathers and to those high principles uocn which the British Empire has been built up. and without which it cannot endure. “To be true imperialists, wo must i maintain unshaken our faith in God, in I the Empire and in ourselves.”