PENINSULA WAR MEMORIAL.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17418, 31 March 1922, Page 9

PENINSULA WAR MEMORIAL.

<!> FOUNDATION STONE LAID, LOIiD JI3LLICOE A'f AKABOA. " I Yesterday was ail historical day for | Akaroa, for it. marked not only the I first oflicial visit of the GovernorGeneral—in fact, it was the first occa-1 sion on which Lord Jelliooe had visited Akaroa in any capacity—but also the laying by his Excellency of the foundation stono of the elaborate memorial which is to be erected to the memory of tho intu from the whole of Banks Peninsula who fell in the Great War. The little town was en fete for the occasion, flags being flown from every available pole, while a large sign of welcome was etretched acros3 the main street. Visitors were present from all parts of tho Peninsula, as well as several leading, citizens from Cln-ist-churc-h, and the weather being perfect, the various functions were a complete success When finished, tho memorial, which ie being erected on the old school site, will bu a handsome structure, and a lasting memorial to tho brave boys from the Peninsula. It will take the form of a Gothic arch, surmounted by a column, which in turn will be surmounted by a cross. The whole will stand on a massive concrete base of four flights of steps- So far, all the necessary money, with the exception of between £7OO and £BOO. has been raised, and after the function of laying the stone had been completed yesterday, the public were invited to place offerings on the base, with a result that a substantial sum wa's raised. CIVIC EXCEPTION. Lord Jellicoe, accompanied by Lady Jellicoe and by Captain Curtis and Captain Monday, arrived at Akaroa about 12.30 p-m., and as his Excellency was paying his first official visit, ho was accorded a civic reception at the Borough Council Chamber. The town clerk (Mr G. W. Thomas) presented to his Excellency a handsome illuminated address, executed by the Christchurch Press Company, Ltd., and reading as follows: ''To his Excellency Vi?coimt JelUooe, 0.M., G.C.8., G.C.V.0., Admiral of tie _ Fleet, Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief of New Zealand. —-We, the Slayor and Buigesses of tho Borough of Akaroa, in ihe Dominion of ..ew Zealand, desire, on this, yoar Excellency's first visit to Akaroa, to e:preS3 our deep aense of loyalty to hia Most Gracious Majesty the Kiiii, ;tEEunr.>-' your Excellency of the honour v,-e feel at your favouring us with your presence, and in laying- thu foun-dation-stone of the memorial to bt. erected to the men from Banks Penlneulp, who gave their lives for the Empire in the late war. TVe -welcome your Excellency on behalf cf the British and'other residents of the district, sincerely hoping that it may please Ahnigity God to grant you and. yours good health during your residence in tha Dominion, and we subscribe ourselves, your Excellency's humble and obedient servant's, dated at Akaroa this 30th day of March, 1922. Signed for and on behalf of the Burgesses of Akaroa, "G. ARMSTRONG, Mayor. "G. W. THOMAS, Town Clerk."

11l acknowledging the address, Lord Jellicoe said that ho had received with real appreciation that renewed assurance oi the Peninsula's loyalty to the King, and to the Empire, though no such assurance* was really necessary. That loyalty 'had been amply proved during the Great War, when all parts of New Zealand had given of their best.. Personally, hc«liad long desired to visit Akaroa, and lie knew of no better occasion for his first visit than that day, when lie would have the privilege of laying the foundation stone of the memorial to those gallant sons of Banks Peninsula wlio had given their lives for the Throne and the Empire. Ho was immensely grateful for, and immensely appreciative of, the kind words in the .address. Ke hoped that on some future occasion ha would be able to a longer visit, and having seen on his journey to Akaroa that day some small portion of its beauties, and those of the. surrounding district, he could truthfully say that he looked forward to that longer visit, when he could see, also, something of • the famed harbour of Akaroa. From Little River onwards he had passed some of the mfest beautiful surroundings that he had seen in any part of the Dominion, and he congratulated the people of the borough on living in such a. lovely distric^. Tho Mayor (Mr George v Armstrong) „aid it was with .pride that they welcomed such a distinguished man as his Excellency, whom lie could assure that the Empire had no more loyal district tihan Akaroa. His Excellency then spent some litt'e time chatting in French to a. very old 'French resident, Mr Lucien Brocherie and to Mr Etienne X. Le Lievre. THE LUNCHEON. A public luncheon in the Oddfellows' Hall followed. After the loyal toast had been honoured, Mr Armstrong proposed the toast of "Their Excellencies," and said that Akaroa felt deeply honoured''to have an official visit from his Majesty's representative and ins eonsort. Tho toast was enthusiastically drunk. In reply, Lord Jellicoe said that he and her Excellency were deepiy grateful i for the maimer in which the toast had I been peceivcd. He took it as a. token of i the loyalty to his Majesty, though no ! such token was necessary. Personally, he was only too glad tent his first ottiI cial visit to Akaroa was on an occasion when he had the honour to lay the stone of a memorial to perpetuate the memory of those gallant sons of tho Peninsula who had given their lives in the war. He was a Navy man, and Akaroa had strong associations with the Navy, for had it not been for the fact that a British man-of-war had turned up, Banks Peninsula might not now jbe flying the Union Jack. However, there had always been a deep bona of friendship between the French and tiw British people in Akaroa. That friendship foreshadowed the Entente which preceded the Great War, and which was cemented by the great alliance the wa.v produced between tho French and British—the alliance that had saved civilisation. LAYING- THE STONE. The gathering then proceeded to the memorial site, where the ceremony of laying the foundation stone was performed. The ctone was inscribed as follows: "This stono was laid by his Excellency Viscount Jellicoe, 0.M., GC.B., G.C.V.0., Governor-Generai of New Zealand. March 30th, 1922. G. Armstrong, chairman; H. St. A. Murray, architect; Siivebter and Co., contractor "

jMr Or. Armstrong, chairman of the Memorial Committee, and Mayor of the borough, said that that da.y was one of tlxo most historic days Akaroa had ever seen: His Excellency was gom<r to lay the foundation scone of 1° morial to their honoured brave, who had gone forth, fearlessly to uphold the integrity of their King and Empire. Their name would live in New Zealand as lons as New Zealand lived; such records lived ror evermore._ Ail had been a credit to their Empire and to the parents 'who had bomG them. Those parents might reel sad, bus it was better for their boys to die a hero : s death than to l6t others die for them. The patriotism of Banks Peninsula, as the v--4? had proved, had stood unchallenged. In conclusion,! Mr Armstrong addressed an exhortation to the young

to uphold the traditions tliat the fallen boys had set, and to stand by their .flag their King, and their Empire, the Empire to which a!I were proud to beloE", and for which their brave boys had been proud to die- . Mr J. E. Thacker, chairman ot t-Uc Afcaroa County Council, extended a hearty welcome to Lord and Lady Jej.icoc-. and assured them that the British Empire had no more loyal spo than Banks Peninsula. Mr Thacker paid a tribute to the men who had answered the call right from _ the beginning of the war, and he joined with Mr°Armstrong in urging the children to uphold the standard set by those men.

Mr J. C. C. Gebbie, chairman of t-lie Wairewa County Council, said that his Excellency had done "his hit" in the Great War, and they could not have got a better man to lay the foundation stone of the memorial.

Mr W. Carpenter, clerk of the Mo"nt Herbert County Council, said that £SOO was still needed for the memorial, and he thought that if the committee approached hie county. Mount Herbert, would respond as well as any other couniy. He hoped tlirt the monument tvo"M b" unvp'led totally free of debt.

The J}ev. W. Walker, president- of th>> Ckristehurch brrmr*h of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association, extended to the gathering the thanks and appreciation of the whole of the returned men of Canterbury for the manner in which thev were coin!! to commemorate the fallen of Banks Peninsula. Such memorials, he spiel, would serve to remind peonle for all time of the great- sacrifices made for civilisation. None of that sacrifice or sufferm? hod been in vain. Everything which we counted dear had been snfeauarded by those braye men. 'who hnd stood, as a wal! of adamant between >..< and the foe. Mr Walker heartily congratulated the people of the Peninsula oil the memorial they proposed to erect, and said that they could best honour the memory of the fallen by showing such qualities—Eelflessnecs, tuavcry, strength, love of country, and nghtecuGness—as had been manifested by their boys on the battlefields. Seeing them in the battlefield had brought heme to him all that was good inhuman nature.

3lr J. McCorabs, M.P. for the district, said that, the Great War had been . war to end war., to crush militarism, to make the world safe for democracy. As they had organised for war, so, should they organise for the. peace which the boys had fought lor, and thoy would not be doing their duty by their boys if they did not strive to bring about the full realisation of those things. Mr McCombs went on to speak of the general desire throughout the world for peace and disarmament, and said that New Zealand must fall into line with the other countries. She waa spending, throe-quarters of a milliou on military matters, and that was t-oo big an amount for such a little country. Colonel R. Young, 0.C., Southern Command, said he was proud to be present to pay tribute to those who had gone to the war from Banks Peninsula. Nothing they could erect could be worthy of those men. After the cingnig of "Oil God Our Help," Lord Jellicoe in a workmanlike maimer, cemented and placed the stone iu position, using a silver trowel presented by the memorial committee, and declared the stone "well and truly laid," as indeed it was. _ Addressing the gathering. Lord Jellicoe said that the honour which had fallen to him was one which he prized very deeply. JNVoody could take such a part in such a ceremony wiihout feeling from the bottom of his heart a sens© of pride at the great deeds of those whose niemorv the memorial was going to perpetuate- It had been truly said that these who were left, ana iliose who would come after could best honour that memory by carrying into their daily lives, in times of peace, the great principles of those heroes who had died doing their duty to their King and their Empire They had thought not q{ themselves, but of the whole Empire. It was well that those for whom they had fought should remember their unselfishness, their determination to do what they could for others, even at the expense of their own lives, and all should strive to do likewise. The manhood of Banks Peninsula had responded treelv, and gallantly when the call came in 1914, and the hearts of all went out in deepest sympathy to tho&3 whose sons, relatives, or friends, had not returned. Yet, while thev sympathised, they could but share in the pride of the afflicted at such .gallant deeds, and could best perpetuate the memory of the fallen by striving to follow their splendid example. T.o the children he would like to ask that wh6n they looked upon the memorial, they, in their turn, should determine to carry out, jn peace or in war, the principles of those gallant fellers who had fought and died. In peace, they could do just as much for others n■; ?n war. In conclusion, Lord Jollicoe again expressed his appreciation of having been asked to perforin ihe ceremony, Mr Armstrong briefly paid a warm tribute to the late Constable Hr. W. Shepherd, who conceived the idea of the memorial, and raised a sum sufficient to ensure its erection The proceedings concluded with the singing of tha National Anthem, and cheers for their Excellencies and Mr Armstrong, who later entertained Lord and Lady Jellicoe and a number of the visitors at afternoon tea.