ARMISTICE DAY. 1918

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18443, 3 January 1922, Page 8

ARMISTICE DAY. 1918

\ EX-SPEAKER’S MEMORIES. Viscount XTUswater, continuing in Sunday Illustrated his recollections of the Speaker’s chair, describee the most striking scenes during his occupancy of the chair. The two he selects as greatest are the, scene on August 3, 1914, and the scene on Armistice Day, 1918. Of the latter Viscount Ullswater says; . „ “It was soon after that fateful hour of H a.m. that I received, a. message-, rfrom the Prime Minister that he was anxious to see me. I went across to Downing street, and was shown, into the room where the Cabinet Councils are held. Mr Lloyd George , was alone; all the latest maps and diagrams, showing the position of the armies on the various fronts, were in evidence rouiid the room; the long table was arranged with stationery as though a council was about to meet; the picture of my ancestor, John, first Viscount Dowther, Prime Minister to William 111, looked down fidra, over the doorway; Sir Eobert Walpole’s portrait seemed to smile from its place over the fireplace. Outside the sun was driving away the clouds, and gave promise of a glorious day. i offered my congratulations, very inadequately, 1 fear, to the Prime Minister, and shook him warmly, by the hand. Just as we had begun the subject matter of our meeting Mr Balfour entered the room. It was the first time since the announcement that the Germans hod signed that these two hod met. It appeared to me that for the time being .the character of the two men had changed. The cold, unimpaesioned aloofness l of Mr Balfour had at this supreme moment of British triumph given place to excitement and enthusiasm, whilst in Mr Lloyd George a calm and composed satisfaction had taken the place of the fire and vigour generally associated with his Celtic blobd. Later on Mr Boner Law and Lord Edmund Talbot joined the conclave. “The matter which .had brought about cur meeting was the question of what was to bo the business of the House of Commons that day. It was clear that the House would be in no mood to go through its ordinary work; a discussion on the terms of the armistice was unlikely, and yet a mere adjournment seemed undesirable. Mr Lloyd George, who has the gift of intuitive , perception of the right course' to pursue in doubtful moments, suggested that the House of Commons should,, after an announcement of the exact terms of the armistice, go to church and return thanks to Almighty God for the cessation of bloodshed and the deliverance from the calamities of the war.” " Viscount Ullswater then describes the ed> vice that was held, a service that will live in the memory of all who were “Nobody,” he concludes, “who was present' will ever forget the singing by that congregation, composed almost entirely of the representatives of a ? people which 'bad just come through a terrible war. On one of. the columns of the church hung a roll of'honour, with the names of some 20 members of Parliament who had fallen; there was scarcely a member who had, not lost a relative, hone who hod sot loefc * friend.”-