POPPY DAY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 11 April 1922, Page 4

POPPY DAY

lu Flanders fields tbo poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, , , That mark our place; and in the Sky The larks, still, bravely, singing, fly Scarce heard amidst tho : guns below. We .are the dead. Short days ago We lived, feltßawri, saw sunset .glow, Loved and were loved, and now we Tip In Flanders, fields.

(Written during the second battle ,cd Ypros, April).l9ls, by Dr. J. D. -McCVae, Montreal.)

Every soldier wlio served in France during the summer months will;remember (he red poppy of Flanders. Just as the fern is associated with New, Zpaiaxicl, the wattle with Australia, the rose with England, the thistle with Scotland ami the shamrock with Ireland, so is,the red poppy with .Northern France, Many of the graves of our fallen are at the pro-, sent time blanketed with these little flowers. It is tin’s sentiment that influenced the ex-soldiers of Britain, Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand to adopt the red flower as the memorial flower to he worn in honour of our dead. On, Monday 25t1l April, thousands of artificial poppies Kyill bo bn sale in every city, town ana township in New Zealand, and on Tuesday 25th April, these flowers will bo worn in remembrance of our dead lying in the various countries whore the N.Z.E.F\ fought. Committees representing ladies’ organisations, soldiers’' widows, soldiers’ wives, yidowed' mothers and the E.S.A, have been formed in the largo towns, and everything is being willingly prepared for a successful day. Poppy Day is the biggest'public day yet staged by the N.Z.R.S.A. and it is to bo ho|»ed that their efforts will bo crowned whh success. The poppies were made in .devastated Northern France, and . after paying for these the N.Z.R.S.A. will devote the remainder of the money to the relief of unemployment, among returned soldiers. This is not a selfish idea, ns the absorption of unemployed soldiers will , react bene/i cially upon general unemployment throughout Ntw Zealand. '

Most successful Poppy Days were held in Canada, the United States, and in Australia last Armistice Day, and it is confidently expected that New Zealand will beat their record..

The Mayoress (Mrs E. Lodi) myites ladies to meet at the Institute to-moi’; row', Wednesday evening at 7.30 for the purpose of arranging matters in. connection .with the local “Poppy Day.” 1