SKETCHES OF ANZAC

Southland Times, Issue 17966, 6 March 1917, Page 5

SKETCHES OF ANZAC

AN INTERESTING DISPLAY. GRAPHICALLY EXPLAINED. Packed closely together In the landing boats, their eyes strained in an attempt to pierce the encircling darkness and penetrate to the unknown shore to which they were being carried, and with thoughts who can say where, that first section of the New Zealand and Australian Army Corps drew silently nearer to the now historic Anzac Cove on the early morning of April 25, 1915. What lay before them they could not tell. In the same way now those of us who did not have the privilege—for privilege It surely was—of standing by our Empire on the shores of Gallipoli cannot thoroughly realise the apparently insurmountable obstacles which our gallant lads laid behind them before the sun sank to rest that Sunday evening, leaving the Colonials fighting their hardest for a footing on those rocky faces —and for their lives. It is here that Sapper H. Moore-Jones comes to the rescue with his splendid collection of sketches made on Gallipoli, the local exhibition Of which opened last evening. The Victoria Hall held a very respectable gathering of patrons when the Mayor (Mr D. McFarlane) rose to perform the opening ceremony last nightHis Worship said that it gave him very great pleasure to formally open the exhibition season of the fine collection of true and striking pictures of the landing and doings.of their “boys” on Gallipoli, where the Australasian lads had taken the principal part in the fight. Sapper Moore-Jones was to be highly, commended for having handed to this and future generations such vivid and striking illustrations of the great landing on that coast. It was the speaker’s earnest wish that all the citizens of Invercargill and people of Southland would make an efforts to see the photographs and sketches of the “Boys" in their contest, especially since the proceeds were to go to the Returned Soldiers’ Association, which was a grand and noble cause, when the funds were properly and kindly administered.—(Applause.) Mr D. J. B. Seymour, dominion secretary of the Returned Soldiers’ Association, who is travelling with Sapper Moore-Jones, begged a few minutes to explain more fully the aims and objects of the Association, and to make clear the reason for its existence. In the first place, the Association Vas a perfectly natural and not an artificial growth. ' The soldier, during the term that he had been a soldier, had not usually had a very happy experience of officialdom. As a soldier he had to put up with things which, as a civilian, he would not tolerate. According to present reprort all of the workings of the military machine were in its favour. But they would find that, when free speech was again permitted, there would be much criticism of and perhaps even some expression of contempt of, the manner in which some official branches were run. The soldier’ found that the promises made to him on enlistment were not being kept, and that Governments were not redeeming! the pledges which they had given the recruit. Also, the soldier had behind him the stories of’ other wars and their aftermath, and that was not happy history. The term “an old soldier” had become almost a term of contempt in the English language. It was the policy of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association to take measures to ensure that in this country, the term would be one of contempt no longer. If they came to consider what the present Government had done they would find a fine record of achievements, but they could not be perfectly satisfied with everything. At the beginning of the war the people of New Zealand had been ready for great things. If a great leader had come forward he might have carried the country with him, and the war might have been conducted with a good deal more efficiency than was at present the case. The Go- ; Vertiment had in large measure pushed on to the various patriotic societies and other civilian organisations its duty to provide for soldiers’ dependants. Not that those organisations had not done their very best. The returned soldiers gatefully acknowledged the work of the patriotic societies, but their funds were entirely the freewill offerings of the country and the soldiers maintained that the whole credit of the country should stand behind this dispensing of relief to soldiers and their dependents. Therefore the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association. It was the Association’s idea to see that the wives and children of those who had fallen for their country were going to get a fair deal —not only now, but always. Just now patriotism ran high, but it would not always be so. There would come a time of stress and pinch and the soldier could not help feeling that what .would ordinarily come first under the scissors would be his pensions and dependents’ allowances. Already there had been an instance of the former. Soldiers who had been discharged while still in hospital—to save money since a full pension was less than active pay—had had their pensions reduced by 10s per week until such time as they should be discharged from hospital. However, the Association had taken that up and had now the satisfaction of knowing that not only would no further reductions be made but those men whose pensions had been cut down were being paid up all arrears. (Applause). He took it that the presence of such a large audience —it was larger than they had had the first night in Christchurch—was indicative of a sympathetic feeling towards the Association in Invercargill and he was glad of it. The Association was badly in need of money to carry on its organisation, which was directed from the head office in Wellington, and it was for that reason that it had availed itself of Sapper Moore-Jones’ generous offer. The present was a moneymaking tour and he appealed to his audience to bring along their friends ill swarms. Sapper Moore-Jones* explanatory lec» ture of his splendid series of sketches, 85 in all, lasted over an hour and a Quarter last evening and was intently listened to throughout. The Sapper ha® a particularly easy manner of description which, coupled with the merit of his sketches, which are most decidedly works of art apart from their historic interest, renders his lecture such as can hold his hearers gripped with the human Interest of the recital. The sketches are supplemented by a fine collection of photographs taken on the peninsula and the whole forms an exhibition of rare quality. Sapper Moore-Jones’ works give a splendid idea of the wild nature of the Gallipoli country and, as he minutely describes each of the most important, there is brought right home t® the listener a realisation of the magnificent work which those daring men of Anzac accomplished during that first week and thereafta- till the evacuation, and which will stand as an everlasting monument to the gallantry of the colonial troops, and r. splendid tribute to the memory of those of the of Australasia’s mannood who have dug in’* for ever among those storm-swept cliffs and ravines. The exhibition will be open daily till Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from 7.30 to 10 each evening with descriptive lectures by the Sapper each afternoon and evening at 3 p.m. and 7.4® p.m. respectively.