SYDNEY ANZAG MEMORIAL

Taranaki Daily News, 19 July 1932, Page 9

SYDNEY ANZAG MEMORIAL

CONTROVERSY ON STATUARY

OBJECTION OF ROMAN CATHOLICS.

NAKED PEACE CRUCIFIED TO MARS

“CHRISTIAN DECENCY OFFENDED.”

By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.

Rcc. 7.55 p.m. Sydney, July IS. A controversy is still raging in regard to a group of statuary comprising the Anzac memorial, the foundation stone of which will be laid to-morrow. The statuary, to which Roman Catholics object, includes the nude figure of a woman symbolising Peace crucified on the war standard of Mars and carrying the body armour, shield and helmet of the war'god. At her feet are many dead soldiers.

The trustees of the memorial have written to the Archbishop Coadjutor of Sydney, th© Most Rev, M. Sheehan, expressing deepest regret at the intention of tlie Roman Catholic dignitaries to hold aloof from to-morrow’s ceremony, which they say will be no different from that at th© dedication of the cenotaph. Tho trustees also suggest that the objections to the sculpture ar© based on misconceptions. A large percentage of Protestant ministers has already through th© Press expressed objection to the us© of a cross for this, particular purpose, “which is gravely offensive to ordinary Christian decency.”