CITY'S TRIBUTE TO THE FALLEN

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2469, 24 May 1915, Page 6

CITY'S TRIBUTE TO THE FALLEN

« MEMORABLE GATHERING AT NEWTOWN PARK AN ELOQUENT APPEAL SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER Tho Churoli Parado at Newtown Park yesterday, organisod by tho Patriotic Society in celebration of Empire Day, was a most impressive and inspiring ceremony. There wero 1833 moil of all ranks on parade, inclusive of 172 of tho National .Reserve, but exclusive of a •number of His Majesty' 6 Veterans, and a large number of boy scouts. Of civilians there must have iioon 10,000 present, a big assemblage. Upwards of £70 was collected in tlie park in aid of tho Soldiers' Relief fund. The corps present, and their strength on parade, were as follow:—4th Field Engineers, 45; D Battery, N.Z.F.A., 80; Railway Engineers, 208; Post and Telegraph Corps, 60; sth Regiment, with band, and rifle clubs which formed tho 4th company of tho regiment for this parade, 35]; Army Service Corps, 31; Medical Corps, 46; Senior Cadets, 624; Boys from Amokura, 50; National Reservo, 172; Pipe Band, 13: Tramways Band, 40; Jupp's Band, 27; Jupp's Band, 20; Mission Band, 30; Senior Cadet Band, 25; Senior Cadet. Drum Rand, No. 42 Company, 12. Tho parade was under the command of Colonel G. F. C. Campbell. Tlie devotional exercises were conducted by Chaplain-Major the Rev. D. C. Bates, mid Chaplain-Captain the Rev. J. G. Chapman. Addresses were delivt\red by tho Rev. Archibald E. Hunt and the Right lion. W. F. Massoy (Prime Minister). His only Son. . Mr. Hunt made » stirring appeal to all. "Never in tho history of the world before," he said, "wa6 Nelson's great signal 'England expects, every man' to do his duty' more insistent, more imperative, in its appeal to the Empire. Our hearts have thrilled with the story of how our men have faced their baptism of fire. We are proud of tho men to whom we entrusted the liouour of our Dominion, and wo have come to realise that we have no need to fear that our gallant sons representing us at the front will not do their duty. Many of them have made great sacrifices, some have shed blood, some have even laid down their lives, and we are here to-day to remind ourselves of the fact that all our 6elf-saorifice is not exhausted with the going of our sons to the front. I am slad to recognise that there is a wealth of loyalty and patriotism amongst those who are left behind. ... I have not many sons. 1 have only one, and 1 have given him, and only an hour or two ago i received a telegram to say that he was wounded. Citizens, I am as proud of that telegram as I would have been if he had told mo he had won a gold medal. I 6hall treasure that telegram as a memento of the gallant spirit of the boy I love, and whom I have given, rejoicing in the consciousness that I possessed a son worthy of the heritage of the great heroes of the past. Those Who Stay Behind. "One word about those men who are not lacking in loyalty or patriotism, but who are prevented by physical or other reasons from going. Let us reserve our judgment, and not be too ready to condemn a man because he has not gone to the front. You don't know what it may have cost that man to stay behind. It may have been easier for that man to go_ to the front than oo endure what he is enduring to day. All honour to those men who have offered their services, hut whose services have been declined from physical ■or other reasons. I want to remind you of the fact that there are thousands and thousands of men and women throuirhout this Dominion whose patriotism is none tho less great because it is unobtrusive. Many a woman is to day enduring nobly in silence sacrifices she will not reveal. All honour to these noble women, tho mothers, wives, and sisters of our men, who have gladly given up their loved ones to the service of their country, who find it harder now to stay at home here than they would to stand with .their loved ones in the post of danger.

"Play the Man—Col" "But I am reminded of the fact that there are mauy men. left behind who could and should go. There may be some of those in this crowd to-day'. To you I appeal. You are inheritors of the great heritage left to you by the great heroes of the past. Through ( the ages they are asking you to day: What are you doing' about the heritage they have placed in your keeping, which they entrusted to you, to hand on with added lustro to your sons? I want to remind you that the heed of your country to-day is clamant. Your country is calling to you, your King is calling to you, honour is calling to you. The future also is calling to you. It lies in your power to make history, and the future of our Empire is in your keeping. Young men, when the day conies, g.s it will come, when this war will be a matter of history, when it will be read by the coming generation, when jour children yet unborn will read t'hat story, the question will arise in their minds: What part did m,y father play in that fight? I appeal to you to do your duty for the sake of your country, for the sake of your own personal hpnour, for the sake of the good of humanity. Do your duty. Play the man. Go! And if in God's providence you should fall, at least fall in the consciousness that you are serving your country, that you are dying the best possible death. "To you who are going we say 'Go, and God bless you,' and we who star, behind shall see that you lack nothing that is necessary to make your going a success. We will do our part while you aro doing yours. When the time conies that the war will be ended, wo shall know then that those who were away as well as those who remained behind, were loyal to t'lieir King, to their country, to their God." Mr. H. G. Hill, President of the Patriotic Society, before calling on the Prime Minister, tendered an apology for the Hon. J. Allen, who had been unable to attend owing to a bereavement. In Memory of the Fallen. The Salvation Army Band played "The Garland of Flowers," in ■ memory of tlio New Zealand troops who havft fallen, and of the victims of the Lusitania outrage. The great assemblage stood in silence, and men bared their heads. The supreme Test. The Prima Minister said he was very pleased to take part in the great demonstration, a demonstration that was worthy of the occasion. It was an indication that New Zealanders to a man and to a woman were with tlio Empiro in this fight, that they had put all minor tilings out of mind, and tliafc with all their minds, and thought, and souls, and strength, and energy, and industry, they would help tlio Knipiro to put down the foes who would destroy it. They had put their bands to the plough, and there would be no looking back, until in the end victory came to Britain and her Allies. The bravery and endurance.of the Bviti&h was beins: tested exea piore

severely than it was tested in the wars of old time. The endurance of the' soldiers we had sent only a few months since had been tested, and they wero all glad to know that the men from the lands on which the Southern Cross shines wero as good men as those who fought under Wellington, Marlborough, and all the great captains whose names were onshrmed in song and story. Brave Hearts. "But," he continued, "there is another side to the picture. There are many sad hearts, tnousands of sad hearts in Now Zealand to-day. but it should be a comfort for the relatives to know that everything possible is being done for the safety and comfort of tho. wounded. For those jvho have lost tneir boys, boys who will never ' see their country- ngain, there- is comfort in tho knowledge that thev have died the best of all deaths. I had a letter the other day from tie father of one of the slam. He wrote to me something like tins: 'I would rather be the father of a soil wlio has done his duty to his country, even if ho lias died in doing it, than bo tho father of a son who shirked his duty to his country.' (Applause.) That is the spirit—(applause)—soldiers of the King and fellow citizens, that is the spirit of our people to-day. That is the spirit of the words we heard n. few' minutes ago when Mr. Hunt was speaking. It is a magnificent thing to see proof of this spirit in the men and women, tho fathers and mothers of boys who are willing to make any sacrifice, however' great, in defence of the honour of our race, its glory, and its pride. (Applause.) The Fiery Cross. "In olden times the fiery cross was sent round to call the Highland clans to battle. Tho fiery cross has been sent round the whole British Empire, - aud tho whole British Empire, and the manhood of tho Empire are donning their uniforms, and taking up their weapons arid going out to light as soldiers of tho King. In our own country what lias happened? AVhat have we seen? from the bush clearing, from the sheep station, from the gumfiekls, the mining centres, from the office of the professional man and the merchant, from the waterfront, men of all ranks and all classes have come, eager and willing to do their duty. But more men are wanted, and I appeal to the manhood of this country. More are needed to take the places of those who have fallen and to increase the strength of the army, and so ensure victory and bring this awful war to a speedy conclusion. Men are wanted for other reasons— to strike a blow on account of the outrages with which the Press has-'made us familiar in the last few weeks, the drowning of helpless women and children, the poisoning of wells and watercourses, the bombardment of defenceless towns, crimes such as we would not have believed, even savages could be guilty. 'Vengeance is mine;' Twill repay, saith the Lord,' and I have not any doubt thai Ho will repay, but it is still our duty as citizens of peace-loving countries to see that these unspeakable outrages, some of which can only be hinted at, are made impossible for all time. Men are wanted because we realise that we are out against a cruel and unscrupulous foe, again6t an enemy whose word is is nothing, whose written pledge is as nothing, only to be observed so long as it suits thjm to do so, an onerny to whom human life and .national honour is as nothing when opposed to German ambition or Gorman supremacy. Doing our Full Duty. "Let me say that it is a proud thought to me that this little country is doing so well, doing its full duty to tho Empire. Let me tell you further that as we have commenced so we intend to go on, doing everything we possibly can to bring about a speedy end to the war, doing all we oan to ensure that peace—not peace with dishonour, but peace with honour—comes to Britain and the nations allied with her." (Applause.) The National Anthem waß sung before the assembly dispersed.

MEMORIAL SERVICE AT PETONE. Under the auspices of the United Christian Association of Petone, a united memorial service was held after church last evening at the Lyceum for our New Zealand soldiers who hadfallen whilst in action in the Dardanelles. The large building was packed to the doors, many of the audience being obliged to stand during the proceedings. The Petone Salvation Army and the Municipal Bands paraded through the Main Street, playing appropriate marches prior to the" service, and at the hall accompanied the singing. The 'Rev. J. J. Lewis (Methodist) presided, supported by the B«vs. G. Stephenson (Anglican), M. P. Lascelles (Baptaist), A. Bruce Todd (Presbyterian), Ensign Seaman (Salvation Army),_ and Mr. H. Grinstead (Church of Christ). The hall was draped with mourning and patriotic colours, and the service was strikingly solemn and impressive. Inspiring addresses were delivered by the Revs. J. J. Lewis and G. Stephenson, and a collection was. taken up in aid of our wounded New Zealandors and dependents of those killed.

INTERCESSORY SERVICE. ■ (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Westport, May 23. This afternoon a largely-attended intercessory service was held in Victoria Square, bands, Territorials. Rifle Clubs, Cadets, Boy Scouts, and the Red Cross Corps being all largely represented. A sterling address was delivered bv the Rev. Mr. Coursoy, of the Anglican Church.