ARMISTICE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12602, 12 November 1926, Page 7

ARMISTICE DAY

FITTING OBSERVANCE IN CITY OF WELLINGTON AND ELSEWHERE STREET TRAFFIC STOPS IMPRESSIVE CEREMONY AT SOLDIERS’ GRAVES AT KARORI With fitting solemnity, the eighth anniversary of the signing of the Armistice was celebrated in Wellington yesterday. A salvo of six guns, fired from the new saluting battery at Point Jerningham. heralded the commencement of the two minutes’ silence, and a similar salvo marked its close. During that space of two minutes ceremonies were held in various parts of the city, which served to remind many of the dayeight years ago—when the echo of the big guns was still in their ears, and when the smoke of battle had not cleared away.

There were many, too, who had not heard the boom of the guns, whose vision had not been blurred by the smoke of battle; but who realised with almost equal potency what the cessation of the Great War meant, what a continuation of hostilities would have effected. Some lost their sons and brothers on the night before the Armistice was signed. tVhy was the truce not a day earlier? Others lost their loved ones months before the Armistice. Why was there a war at all? Wliat more can be done now to perpetuate in tbe human memory the deeds of those who went and fell, and of those who came back, than to set aside one day in the year upon which to stand in silent meditation upon their exploits? , While Wellington generally entered into the spirit of the day, there were, many who were so frightfully busy with their secular engagement* that they could not spare two minutes in memory of those to whom they owe their preaent comfortable security. In accordance with the general instruction issued trains and vehicular traffic stopped for the required two Igiinutes at 11 a.m. SERVICE AT TOWN HALL A short and very impressive service was held at the Town Hall at 10.40 a.m., when the Mayor (Mr C. J..U, Norwood), Mrs Norwood, members Of the City Council, and officers of the H.M.S. Dunedin were present. Canon Feildeii Taylor conducted the service, and after the hymn, “O God, Our Help In Ages Past,” had been sung, he recited a prayer appropriate to the occasion, . The two minutes of silence were observed, and at the conclusion the Dead ilarch in •‘Saul’’ was played by the city organist, and “The Reveille sounded by Sergeant A. Barke, of the Wellington College Cadets. The singing of the Anthem concluded the proceedings. traffic stops A suggestion was advanced to the Mayor that, if in future it were deaired to have a cessation of industry and transport in the city, an effective way of doing this would be to turn off the city power for the apace of two minutes, and everything would automatically atop—resuming again when the power was reinstalled. ' Mr Norwood said there was nothing to prevent this being done, except perhaps the requirements of some of the essential services such as freezers, which must keep operating all the time in order to be effective in the carrying out of their functions. In such a case he doubted whether the sentiment would justify Ihe loss which might possibly be incurred. However, there was no reason why the suggestion should not be noted. SALVATION ARMY Commissioner James Hay conducted a brief but impressive service at the national headquarters of the Salvation Army in Cuba street. All the officers of the headquarters staff and the emplovees assembled, and were joined by a number of citizens. The service opened with a hymn, “0, God, Our Help in Ages Past,” after which Colonel Knott (chief secretary) engaged in prayer on behalf of those still sufferftog from the effects of the war. Commissioner Hay read a portion of Scripture, and requested, those present to entreat the Almighty to aid the relatives of the soldiers who had sacrificed their lives, and especially the children. There proceedings were fol lowed by the two-minutes silence,. and the service concluded with the National and the Doxology. HEROESAT REST IMPRESSIVE SERVICE AT KARORI SIR JAMES ALLEN PLANTS A KAURI. Of all the services held yesterday, there was none more impressive than the ceremony at the Karori soldiers’ cemetery, when Sir James Allen, in the presence of a large number of next-of-kin. Government and other officials, addressed the gathering and planted a young kauri tree. Among those present were : —The Minister for Defence (the Hon. F. J. llolleston), Colonels Smythe and Avery, Captains Maulo and Goss (of Headquarters Staff), Captain Clark (South African Veterans), Major Vine (Home Service), Mr James Hislop (Undersecretary of Internal Affairs), Mr Scott (Internal Affairs, War Graves Division), Mr Hurst Seager, Councillors G. A. Troup (chairman of the City Council Cemetery Committee), McKeen and Burn, Mr Harlen (cemetery superintendent), Mesdames Mathew Holmes (president Women’s National Reserve Memorial Cemetery Committee),. and members of the committee, Mesdames Boden (hon. secretary), Chatfield, McHugh, J. Bell Nielsen, and Miss Black, Mrs Corliss (Dominion president Women’s National Reserve), Mrs L. 0. H. Tripp (Wellington president Women’s National Reserve), and members of the Women’s National Reserve. Altogether, there are about 1300 graves in the soldiers’ cemetery at Karori. The tree which he had planted, said Sir .Tames, was to-day a very small one, hut as the years went by it would grow, a great kauri, symbolic of the strength, stability, and grandeur of the service of those men and nurses who gave up their lives for their country. Not only would it be a memorial to the dead; it would also be a reminder to the living of the wonderful service given by the men whose bodies now lay in cemeteries in France. Belgium,' Gallipoli, and in other parts of the world. A reminder, also, that it was not only the thing that was living that was of value, for that which one left behind might really ho greater .value. No man could do

more than to live a life of sacrifice and do good in the world. GRAVES IN OTHER LANDS Sir Janies then stated that ho had visited all the war grave cemeteries, and that he could safely assure every, one that they were being cared for in the most admirable manner. At Gallipoli the cemeteries weffl really beautiful. In each the principle had been followed that there should bo no distinction between officer and man, ns in many cases the cemeteries were planted with New Zeajand flowers and they lay together in the cemeteries. The War Graves Commission had adopted a standard headpiece for all cemeteries, and though there might be differences in the stone used, the design was always tho same. Ultimately headstones or memorials would be erected to the memory of the ■ 10,000 New Zealanders who now rested on Gallipoli, in France, Belgium, and the other fighting fronts. unfortunately, there were over (3000 missing jnen, and men whose bodies could not be identified. When the question arose as to whether tbe memorials to these men should be placed in the cemeteries or at a place outside of them, he had been insistent that their memorials should be placed with those of their comrades in the cemeteries. On Gallipoli particularly, it was most difficulty to identify the soldiers’ graves upon the return of those charged with the care of the dead after tbe war. To those next-of-kin who were unable to visit these faraway cemeteries, continued Sir James, the War Graves Commission was sending coloured photographs, one of the cemetery and the other of the individual grave and headstone; that alao applied to the memorials on which were recorded the names of missing men. Sir James paid a tribute to those who made it their duty to care for the graves of soldiers buried at the KarJ* ori cemetery. “The Last Post” was then sounded, the two-minutes’ silence being reverently observed till the sounding of tbe reveille. Before leaving the cemetery, Mrs Holmes laid a beautiful wreath of laurel and Miss Black a wreath of roses upon the central plot. SERVICE AT THE DOMINION FARMERS’ INSTITUTE A short service was held in the Conference Hall of the Dominion Farmers’ Institute yesterday morning. There was a good attendance of people. The chairman, Mr H. F. Johnston, who was the first speaker, said that eight years ban passed since the end of the war, yet all present, in common with the rest of the Empire, wished to reaffirm that their dead remained with them a precious memory. “Our hearts will always beat with gratitude for those who laid down their lives for us,” he said in conclusion. The Rev. E. Weeks (Hon. Chaplain to tho Forces) then led those present in prayer, and afterwards gave an address which will long be remembered. “We are knit together this morning in a great sympathy,” he said. “It will soon be dawn in the Motherland, and now her crowds are making their way to Whitehall where, in the shadow of the cenotaph they will stand while Big Ben strikes out that note which strikes with us now—England and the Empire to remember their dead.” Followed a two-minutes’ silence, after which was sung, “O God, Our Hein in Ages Past,” and the National Anthem. IN BRITAIN SOLEMN COMMEMORATION CROWDS BY THE CENOTAPH. (Received November 11, 7.55 p.m.) LONDON. November 11. Armistice Day for the first time is being observed throughout the country as a solemn commemoration. As the result of the controversy provoked last year, there will be no merrymaking in the West End to-night, all festivities having been postponed till to-morrow. The sale of the first Flanders poppies for the benefit of distressed exservice men began immediately after midnight. Crowds lingered in Whitehall till late last night, and watched the growing pile of wreaths at the cenotaph. MR COATES’S MESSAGE Mr Coates, in a special Armistice Day message, published in the “Daily News,’’ says;— “The service at the cenotaph finds a faithful response in every British country. It is not only a tribute to the dead, hut an act of remembrance of a united nationai effort, and a silent expression of the Empire spirit which is still with us.” Mr Coates will lay a wreath on the cenotaph in Whitehall, and tho High Commissioner (Sir .Tames Parr) will place one on the Unknown Soldier’s grave in Westminster Abbey. TENSE SILENCETn'SYDNEY GREAT CROWDS ASSEMBLED. r. —PrcAs ; N^n.—CVrp.rrWM. SYDNEY, November 11. Thero was fine weather for Armistice Day, which was celebrated with the mual solemn ceremonial, tense silence falling over the city during the two minute!! 1 interval. A big crovv'J. including Vice-lloynliy. niid Bnrli.-vnontarv. naval, and military heads, and leaders of

churches, attended the official gathering in Martin place. (Received November 11, 8.40 p.in.) The special services in all the churches were largely attended. Great crowds also gathered for the ceremonies in other States. observaToTelsewhere SHORT SERVICES WREATHS PLACED ON MEMORIALS. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, November 11. Armistice Day was celebrated by a short service of commemoration at St. Matthew’s, when the “Dead March” was played and the “Last Post” sounded in memory of the fallen. The Victoria League’s Care of Graves’ Committee visited the Soldiers’ Comete.'y at Waikumete Cemetery, and placed flowers and rosemary on the graves and a wreath on tho memorial near the gate. NEW PLYMOUTH, November 11. Armistice Day was observed by tbe usual two minutes’ silence and the returned soldiers placed a. wreath on the cenotaph. ELTHAM, November 11. Armistice Da.v was observed by a two minutes’ silence in tbe morning, and Elthaitt’s war memorial gates at the School were unveiled in the afternoon by the Hon. O. J. Hawken. in tho presence of a large crowd. Addresses were delivered by the Mayor, the County Council chairman, and representatives of the churches.