ANZAC MARCH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23019, 22 April 1938, Page 6

ANZAC MARCH

MELBOUBNE SHRINE r •——— NO RELIGIOUS SERVICE ARCHBISHOP'S REGRET .?. & _— WILL LEAVE THE RANKS [from otjb own corbespondent] MELBOUKNE, April 13 The controversy about the decision !o makethe Anzac Day gathering at the Shrine, Melbourne, a non-religious function has led to the decision of the Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne, Dr. F. W Head, to take part in the inarch from the city, but to leave the ranks /before the Shrine ceremony begins. Archbishop Head was a chaplain with the British Forces during the Great .War and was awarded the Military Cross. Writing in the Church Messenger this month Archbishop Head strongly commends the action of General Sir Harry Chauvel and MajorGeneral Brudenell White in refusing to lead the march or to take part in the civic service at the Shrine after the march. Explaining his own intentions, the archbishop says the people are faced with a' conflict of loyalties—to the unity and comradeship among former soldiers; to the Empire; to the King; %o the dead; and, above all, to God. Givic Oeremonial Unsatisfying "For eight years now I have marched on Anzac Day and have joined in the service afterward," says the archbishop. ''lt is with deep regret that, at any rate this year, I must leave the march before the commemoration; but I /.hope that those who differ from me will sympathise with my reasons for so doing. "I recognise and fully appreciate the loyalty to unity and comradeship among former soldiers. I am sorry that this should be weakened or spoiled, as it is a glorious thing. But on this, particular day we are not thinking of ourselves only, but of ideals which are far greater than ourselves, and it is because of our loyalty to these things that I find the proposed civic ceremonial 'insufficient and unsatisfying. "It is difficult for the majority of Australian soldiers to object to the removal of the Christian service _ when they are told that it is an unfriendly and rfnkind thing to insist on its retention. But we must set other things against this natural shyness. Heading for National Disaster

"There is our loyalty to the Empire, which is Christian, and the majority of whose people are anxious to secure their Christian faith at a time when it .is being menaced in other countries. We are heading for national disaster if, in our public ceremonies, we deliberately leave out God. It is_ not enough to have our separate Christian services,in the morning. We must have our Christian prayers when in the afternoon we meet as members of tho great Empire which has come down to lis from our fathers through the war. "The two minutes' silence is robbed of most of its meaning unless our thoughts are guided by Christian prayeffe away from the graves of the fallen to the Lord, Who rose from the dead to give them eternal life.-' The form of service, as finally approved by the State executive of the Returned Soldiers' League, will be: — Introductory remarks by the Lieu-tenant-Governor, Sir Frederick Mann; "Lead Kindly Light"; recital from "To the Fallen" by Lawrence Binyon; address by the State president of the league, Mr. G. W. Holland; "Recessional," silent tribute; "Funeral March" (Chopin); "Last Post," "Reveille" and National Anthem.