THE ANZAC SPIRIT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 75, 23 May 1944, Page 7

THE ANZAC SPIRIT

A CALL TO EX-SERVICEMEN: Following upon his challenging Anzac Day appeal to the citizens, of New Zealand to revive the spirit of Anzac, the Dominion President of the R.S.A. (Mr B. J. Jacobs) has issued the following appeal to all exservicemen and women in the community:— "A few days ago I addressed an Anzac Day message to the people of New Zealand naturally including you. To-day I speak directly to each individual returned service man and woman. I ask for your co-operation (and that of your Association if you belong to one) to ensure that the 'Spirit of Anzac' is translated into action in your daily lives. I suggest that each one of you( and I myself for that matter) look at himself in the light of my statement and resolves personally to live the Spirit of Anzac. You will remember I defined that to be the Spirit of co-operation and self-sacrifice for your country and your fellow men. I you have already made the sacrifice of fighting for the country and its people but it is no use leaving the arena until ' the whole Job is done. Many of our mates—our cobbersdid not and will not return and they especially would have wished that those of us who have (and those too of the men and women who will) should see to it that the ideals for which they gave and give their lives are realised to the full. As the President of the N.Z.R.S.A., I call upon each one of you to assist in this, the heaviest task of our careers. You ask how you can help. I give you just a few suggestions: Let us banish all selfishness from ourselves and our actions and so arm ourselves as crusaders to make the Spirit of. Anzac a real live thing be it in office, shop or factory, on the farm or on the sea. Let us determine to stop all loose talk and rumour mongering. Let us challenge all abuses of the laws of our country—particularly Jhelp__the_ War effort. "" Let us accept cheerfully the comparatively small sacrifices, we are called upon to make and don't grouse about them. Surely they have been and will be small in proportion to those borne by the people of Britain and smaller in relation to the ultimate: benefits to be won. Let. us set an example by each of us doing his best to promote the maximum war effort and by urging all in his immediate circle to do the same. There are dozens of others. All I can do is to appeal to' each one individually, for surely even if we are no longer able to take our places on battlefields overseas we can at least carry the torch high at home. If. we respond conscientiously the Spirit of Anzac will in the end prei vail—a magnificent contribution to the happy, prosperity of our native land."