NEW ZEALANDERS' CHURCH PARADE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11671, 11 April 1916, Page 1

NEW ZEALANDERS' CHURCH PARADE.

+- AT ST MARGARETS, WESTMINSTER [FeOSI OtJB CORRESPOJfDEHT.] LONDON, February 24. The beautiful bid church of St Margaret's, which stands within the same railing at Westminster Abbey, was crowded on February 16, a solid body of soldiers, New Zealand on|l Australian, filling tho aisle, their civilian friends and families crowding all the side seats. The visiting New Zealander was struck first by the strangely blank window at ihe eastern, end, filled with that opaque green which marks*'plain glass dimmed to suit tho lighting regulations of a Zeppelin threatened church, for the famous stained glass lias been removed' for safety. Tho special service was meant to mark St Margaret's new role as a parish church.for overseas forces in London. It was by way of being a church parade, the New Zealand troops coming first, headed by its own band, and close on them followed 1 tho Australian contingent and its band. The church was crowded. Among those present were the,High_Commissioners for Australia and New Zealand'; the Agents-Gonegal 'for NewSouth Wales, Tasmania, South Australia) and Western Australia; Sir Henry Craik, M.P; the Countess of Hardwicko, Lady Emmott, Mrs Joseph Chamberlain, Mrs Andrew Fisher, Lady Mackenzie, Lady Moore, Lady Russell, Sir James Mills, Colonel Buckley, Major Woddell, Captain T. & Bonne, Mr E. M. Kennaway, Mr P. J. Holdsworth, Mr E. Rayment, Mr E. A. Box, ■ and tho secretaries of the Government Agencies for the Australian States. The service was conducted by Canon Carnegie (rector of St Margaret's), assisted! by tho Rev Jocelyn Perkins. Tho fervice was short, and included the anthoin, "O Come Ye Servants of the Lord," exquisitely rendered by tho choir. The following is part of the rector's address:— " It .'s my privilege, as rector of St Margaret's, to wclcomo you very heartily hero this morning, and to express a strong hope that the members-of the overseas forces and' their friends and relations will regard this church as their parish church while they are in and allow us to do anything wo can in making them fesl at homo here. The fact that this is the parish church of the House of Commons makes it specially appropriate for a purpose of this kind. "I know that I am voicing the feelings of ths members of the House of Commons, • and, indeed, of the whole English people, when I say how glad wo are to be able to give any kind of expression to our deep sense of appreciation of what the great self-governing dominions have done and are doing for us in this momentous crisis of our fortunes. When tho history of thess epoch-making days comes to be written, I do not think that • any episode will' he found to bo. more inspiring or more magnificent ihans the way iu which they have rallied to the-support of tho J British'"Empire, and all that that Empire stands for.