ARMISTICE DAY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 23, 12 November 1943, Page 5

ARMISTICE DAY

TWENTY-FIjVE YEARS AFTER-

WARDS

TWO Mi'XUTKS SILEXCIr:

It scarcely seems twenty-five years since the first solemn Armistice Day service took place at the behest of His Majesty King George V and expanded' from the dignified ceremony at White Hall to the period l of two minutes silence which embraced the whole of the British Empire, yet, yesterday's comment- . oration, in the midst of the strain and worry of the newer . world conflict, was a legacy of those seemingly, far off days and stands even in the midst of our fresh trials as* a silent tribute to the Empire's million dead of a quarter century ago. As has been the habit in the past Whakatane was reminded of the oc-. casion by the sounding of the fire siren at 11 a.m. and it was pleasing to note that on the main the. two minutes silence—a gesture to the heroic dead of, the past —was observed by most of those who heard it or had. borne the hour in mind. Pedestrians on the. Strand .stood still, tiie click and hum of busy industrial wheels, was hushed while not a few returned men could be seen momentarily -bare-headed, and standing quietly lost in thought. For two minutes only, the gesture was made, jet this apparently proved too long for .some who cither through ignorance or complete disregard, drove cars through the main, street DC could be seen going about their every day tasks and completely oblivious to the silent tribute which, was going on about them on the part of hundreds of their fellow citizens.