ANZAC DAY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23019, 22 April 1938, Page 10

ANZAC DAY

SERVICE AT CENOTAPH MAIN BODY REQUEST SEPARATE PARADE SOUGHT REASONS FOR REFUSAL * •• The attitude of the Auckland City Council toward the request of the Main Body Association to hold a separate parade at the Cenotaph on the afternoon of Anzac Day was explained yesterday by the town clerk, Mr. <T. Moiling, and Sir George Richardson, one of the City Council representatives on the Anzac Day Commemoration Committee. The association announced in the Hkrat.d yesterday that owing to the council not agreeing to permit them to hold their parade and service at the Cenotaph on the afternoon of Anzac Day the parade had been cancelled. It was stated by Mr J. A. Cameron, president of the Auckland branch of the association, that about 100 members were affected by the council's decision., He said that in previous years Main Body men had paraded with the various units taking part in the official ceremony, which was held in the afternoon. Change in Time The members resented the ceremony being changed to the morning and the association had applied for permission to hold an afternoon parade. Tt was felt that a morning parade would interfere with people who wished to attend church services, whereas an afternoon ceremony would be largely attended. " When the application from the Main "Body Association was received it was referred to the Anzac Day Commemoration Committee, comprising three members of the City Council and representatives of the Auckland lieturned Soldiers' Association," said Mr. IMelling. "The committee expressed the opinion that it was not desired that services other than the official ceremony in the morning should be conducted at the Cenotaph. It was pointed out that it was desired that the service to be held by the Returned Soldiers' Association under the auspices of the City Council should be an ' official commemorative service, entirely non-sec-tarian and undenominational in character. Moreover, the intention is that the official service to be held in the morning shall be one in which all the citizens may participate, and special arrangements are made for the attendance at the ceremony of all returned soldiers in "their representative capacity." Objects of Service " As one of the originators of the present form of service I am able to say that the object has been to make it entirely a non-sectarian ceremony in which aH citizens and soldiers could unite, regardless of their religious views," said Sir George "This object lias been attained every year since the inception of the ceremony. 1 .had no idea that any one section of the community, and more especially of returned men, objected to combining in this united ceremony until a letter was received from that comparatively small body of returned soldiers organised as a main bodv association.

"On receipt of this communication 1, together with other members of the Anzac Day Commemoration Committee, gave full consideration to the request. It was unanimously decided to refuse permission to hold)a separate service, on the ground that it was entirely opposed to the objects of a service arranged so that all sections of the community should be able to unite to pay homage to those who fell in their couutry's service."