ARMISTICE DAY SERVICES

Taranaki Daily News, 11 October 1929, Page 9

ARMISTICE DAY SERVICES

EMPHASISING PEACEFUL NATURE. REDUCTION OF .ARMED PERSONNEL. By Telegraph-Press Assn.—Copyright. United Service. London, Oct. 9. The Home Office has issued a statement that the Government wishes greater prominence to be given to the civilian aspect of the cenotaph-service on Armistice Day. It sympathises with the suggestion that the troops on duty should be unarmed, but it must be remembered that the service is primarily a tribute to the memory of the warriors whose death the cenotaph commemorates. It is therefore appropriate that the service should be attended by naval, military and air force detachments.

After the most careful consideration the Government has decided that it would not be in keeping with the solemnity of the occasion if the detachments paraded otherwise than in full dress and armed. In order, however, to emphasise the peaceful civilian nature of the ceremony it has decided to reduce the personnel on duty at the cenotaph to the smallest number compatible with adequate representation of the three services.

Colonel Crosfield, chairman of the British Legion, says the complete absence of uniformed troops would have been resented, but the legion cannot cavil at a reasonable reduction of troops because it will enable more ex-service-men and more of those who lost, loved ones to attend to obtain places nearer the cenotaph.