A STIRRING MESSAGE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17299, 26 April 1918, Page 6

A STIRRING MESSAGE.

TROOPS WILL NOT FAIL

(Pica United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, April 25. Tho Governor-general lias receive' the following telegram from General Bird wood: "Ou this, tho third ajinnn .j.uy of Anz.ao Day, I dcairo to convoy the greetings ot tho members of Australian and Imperial forces to tho people of New Zealand and t j assure them that tho New Zealand and Australian troo]v> aro continuing to uphold tho groat traditions established on April 25, 1915. Tho many months during which tho Now Zealand and Australian troops fought lit.erallv shoulder to shoulder in the common cause can never be forgotten by either. All who aro fighting to-day realise that the safety and honour of thoir hemo and people aro as niuoh in their safe custody as they were three years ago, and in this trust they will not faiL''

SPEECHES BY MINISTERS. (Pkb Unitkd Pbess Association - ., WELLINGTON, April 25. At a feathering >11 ihe Commercial Travellers' Ciub the Prime Minister, after paying a tribute to the Anzac heroes and to the part Now Zealaud had taken in the war, rehrrod to tho deve'opment of the war. lie said the British Empire and Allies had to hco two chief dangers at present One was the- submarine. lie bolievcd that tho effects of tho submarine attack were decreasing, and that in time the submarine would relegated to the sumo category of ineffectiveness as tho Zeppelin. Tho „ other danger was tho tremendous attack made by the German armies on the west front. The first stage of that, attack had been passed, but nobody must imagine that the German offensive was at an end. The danger was hot over by a very long way. Tho Germans wanted to smash the British forces before tho American reinforcements could take an effective part in the campaign, but ho did not believe for a moment that they would succeed. Ho believed the Brit : sh were going to stop tho German advance and that they would be unable to reach the Channel jwrts. Sacrifices would have to bo made by all peoples of the British Empire in order to tide over tho period of danger, but Britons all over tho world were prepared to stand firm and see the thing through. Sir Joseph Ward said the men who had died on Gallinoli, fighting under terrible conditions ayainst great odds for the cause of human freedom, would never bo forgotten Their nanvs were recorded on the hearts of the nation. There had been criticism of tho inception and conduct of the GalUpoli campaign. He Ijelieved it was a fact: t.hnt if these responsible for the effort had arranged for sufficient forces to be available at the right time the Peninsula would have been won and the war would by this timo have been ended Somebody hid blundered, but let it never bo imagined ■•'-if men who died on Gallipoli had di n d in vain. They had fought a good fii;ht.. and had maintained unstained the very highest ditions of their nation New Zealandors were commemorating tho third anniversary of An/,no Day with a firm determination that whatever further efforts m'ght be reonired the sacrifices that had already been made should not be in vain. He did not. believe that Britn : n or her Allies would end the war until full victory had been assured—until they had turned the tide back, entered German territory, and carried tho flag? of freedom right to Berlin.

SERVICES elsewhere (Pee United Pbesb Association.) AUCKLAND, April 25. • Ansae Day was oomiucmor-atcd to-day by a citizens' sorvic« in tlio Town Hall. Addresses wero delivered by Bishop Averill. the Hfv. I£. Steei Crailc (chaplain to the torccs), antl Commissioner liodder (Salvation Army). Services were also held in various churches . In the evening the returned soldiers wero entertained by the Mayor and city councillors at a smoke concert.

WANGANTJI, April 25. Anzao Day was oonunemoratcd by religious services and military demonstrations. FEILDING, April 25. A church parado was held in the Anglican Church this morning, at which a large number of returned officers and men were prey sent, and an united service was hold in the afternoon. All the Proi-.i-lant ministers took part in a very lai-#e nathei inff. NAPIER, April 25. Anzao marked bv an united nonopiscopal servico in tlie morning and a gathering in the Municipal Theatre in the afternoon. A procession of returned soldiers and the local military forccs marched through the streets, and patriotic and memoriam speeches were delivered in fcho vho:itro 'by the Mayor, the member for the district, and Dr Boxer (president of the Returned Soldiers' Association). GISBORNE, April 25. "Some of us have lived to curso the word Anzae," declared Captain Turnbuil, D.5.0., in proposing a toast at tho Anz.ic dinner to-night. "We New Zealandersan.l Australians may have done a great deal at Anzac, but as a matter of fact wo did absolutely nothing compared with that incomparable 29th Division—(cheers)—who landed at Helles. There are some of you who, like myself, saw Cape Ilelles a week or ten days after the dear old 29th landed. It was something that can hardly bo realised, much less described. I am proud to belong to the same nation, although I am a New Zealander and they are Briton"-. I don't for a moment belittle our landing at Anzac. but compared with t.lie work of the 29ths, where barbed wire was run out deep into the sen and the water ran re r ' with blood, I take my hat off to those fellows. —(Cheers.) We of the Anzacs may have done well, but we have grown ashamed to see our deeds extolled from- end to cnu of tho Empire, while tho incomparably greater service of such English troops as 1 havo mentioned goes practically unnoticed."—(Cheers and prolonged applause.) WELLINGTON, April 25. Anzao Day was marked by dull, cold weather. In tho Cat.hc.lio ohurohes mass was said for the repose of the souls of tho fallen. In all the schools thero were celebrations, and this afternoon a big memorial sen-ice ■"•■is lipid. In the Commercial Travellers' Club patriotic addresses wero given by the Prime Minister and other members of the Government.

CHRISTCHURCH. April 25. Religious services and a military pariulo woro held in honour of Anzac Day. Tho latter was probably t.he largest, ever seen in Christ-church. It included 470 returned soldiers in uniform, and the muster of cadets was particularly striking- A short, but vcory impress no, servioo took place in tho Anglican Cathedral, whore a wreath from tho Returned Soldiers' Association was dedicated in memory of their comrades. Tho wreath. which was received at the altar steps by Dean Carrington, was borne on a Union -Tack by five members of the association, who marched from the western door down tlio centre aisle.

TOTAIIIJ, April 25. A sorvico wis ho.ld this afternoon, when over <100 men were in uniform, including 60 returned soldinrs and a Crimean veteran. Seven ministers t,ool< part, n,nd tho Mayor (ATr ATilipsr). Mr Oroide. M.P., and tho Rev. Mr Rogers were tho spealcers IN VKT? A ROTJjL. A.pril 25. Antoo Day was obseirvod in fine weather. Services were held in nil tho in the morning-, and a well-attended militarv -paxade took place in the followed l>v a '"rce patriotio meeting- in the theatre at night.