ANNIVERSARY OF THE WAR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17065, 25 July 1917, Page 6

ANNIVERSARY OF THE WAR

REQUEST TO PUBLIC BODIES. {Per United Press Association.) . .WELLINGTON, July 24. Tho Prime Minister has sent out a request to all public bodies that on Saturday, August 4—the third anniversary of the declaration of war with Germany—a meeting of citizens be called in order that a resolution may be passed oxprcss.ng Now Zealand's inflexible determination to continue the struggle in the maintenance of our ideals of liberty and justice and the sacredness of the causo oi the Allies. The following is the full text of Mr Massey's circular: — "On behalf of the Government of thi.dommion I have the honour to request thai on Saturday, August 4 next, the third an niversary of the declaration of war witi. Germany, you will call a meeting of tlu citizens of your borough, and submit to the meeting tho attached resolution of determination to continue the war to a victorious end. The same resolution will be submitted to public meetings throughout the rest of the Empire. . "When last year tho people of this dominion gathered to celebrate the second anniversary, our feelings were divided between our belief that the war was then approaxshing its crisis, our sober realisation of what that meant, our hope that the struggle would terminate long before tho end of this third year, and our profound satisfaction that our sons had proved their right to and had been given the opportunity of taking their place with tho Allies on the western front.

'"Ih.s year we shall meet (our hopes of pea«e not yet realised) •with the knowledge that sacrifices have yet to be faced, and our hearts filled with honourable pride at the thought of how nobly our sons, by their endurance and valour, on the Sommo, at Messines, and in Palestine, have sustained tho irlory of Anzac. '"With the memory of what they have done, and our deepened knowledge of what wo are fifrhtmg for, and what German victory would mean, the carrying of tile resolution is this year more than ever our sacred duty. Largely by the manner in which we celebrate this third anniversary, will be judged our determination to maintain those ideals of liberty and justice which', as the resolution truly states, are the common and sacred cause of the Allies. I shall be glad if, on August 6, you will telegraph to me the fact of the meeting having been held, and of the resolution having been carried." The resolution enclosed in the circular reads as follows:— "That, on this third anniversary of the declaration of a righteous war, this meeting of citizens of —- reoords its inflexible determination to continne to a victor-ous end the struggle in maintenance of thos« ideals of Liberty and Justice whioh are the common and sacred cause of the Allies. '