ANZAC SPIRIT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 13 May 1944, Page 4

ANZAC SPIRIT

WANTED IN OUR DAILY LIVES

CALL TO EX-SERVICEMEN Wellington. This Day Following upon his challenging Anzac Day appeal to the citizens of New Zealand to revive the spirit of Anzac, the Dominion President of the R.S.A. <Mr B. J. Jacobs) has issued the following appeal to all ex-servicemen and women in the community:— “A few days ago I addressed an Anzac Day message to the people of New Zealand naturally including you. To-day I speak directly to each individual returned service man and woman. “I ask for your co-operation (and that of your association if you belong to one) to ensure that the ‘Spirit of Anzac’ is translated into action in your daily lives. I suggest that each one of you (and I myself for that, matter) looks at himself in the light of my statement and resolves personally to live the Sf\rit of Anzac. You will remember I defined that to be the Spirit of co-operation and self-sacrifice for your country and your fellow men. I realise you have already made the sacrifice of fighting for Ihe country and its people but it is no use leaving the arena until the whole job is done. "Many of our mates—our cobbers—did not and will not return and they especially would have wished that tho: e of us who have (and those too of the men and women who will) should see to it that the ideals for which (hey gave and give their lives are realised to the full. As the President of tha N.Z.R.S.A., I call upon each one of you to assist in this, the heaviest task of our careers. “You ask how you can help. I give you just a few suggestions: Let us banish all selfishness from ourselves and our actions and so arm ourselves as crusaders to make the Spirit of Anzac a real live thing be it in office, shop or factory, on the farm or on the sea. Let us determine to stop all loose talk and rumour mongering. Let us challenge all abuses of the laws of our country—particularly those specially passed to help the war effort. Let us accept cheerfully the' comparatively small sacrifices we are called upon to make and don’t grouse about them. Surely they have been and will be small in proportion to those borne by the people of Britain and smaller in relation to the ultimate benefits to be won. Let us set an example by each of us doing his best to promote the maximum war effort and by urging all in his immediate circle to do the same. “There are dozens of others. All I can do is to appeal to each one indivr**dually for surely even if we are no longer able to take our places on battlefields overseas wc can at least carry the torch high at home If wc respond conscientiously the Spirit of Anzac will in the end prevail—a magnificent contribution to the happy prosperity of our native land.’ *