ANZAC DAY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 185, 25 April 1918, Page 8

ANZAC DAY

THE GREAT ADVENTURE RETURNED SOLDIERS' CELEBRATION STORIES OF THE CAMPAIGN In a few hours at most, as they well kuow, perhaps a tenth of them tfould have looked their last on tho sun, and be a part of foreign earth or dumb things that the tides push. Many of them would have disappeared for cvor from tho knowledge of man, blotted from the book of lifo, nono would know how—by a fall or chance shot in tho darkness, or tho blast of a shell, or alone, like a .'lurt beast, in some scrub or gully, far from comrades and the English :-peeeli and the English singing. . . . All that they felt was a gladness of exultation that their young lourage was to bo used, and they went liko kings in a pageant to imminent death. . . . All was beautiful in that gladness of men about to die, but the most moving thing was tho greatness of their generous hearts. In these fow vivid sentences John Masefield lias written of tho first Anzac Eve. The occasion is surely ono to celebrate, and the Returned Soldiers' Association met with the most complete success in their first attempt to mark the occasion in some public fashion. Their gathering in the Grand Opera House last iiight was well attended by the public and bv tho soldiers, awl there were in the audence numbers of men entitled to wear tho coveted red chevron of the 1914 men. Tho Prime Minister was chairman, and the speakers were a representative selection of soldiers who have been on'service abroad.

The Eight Hon. W. P. Massey .-poke a few words on.the occasion that was being celebrated. "This," he said, "is the evo of Anznc Day. This is tho eve of the anniversary of the day when the boys brought up .under tho Southern CressAustralians and New Zealanders—first took part in European warfare, when thev first stood side by sido with soldiers fronv tho ' British Isles fighting for liberty and freedom, and for the glory of the Empire. And it is well, ladies and gentlemen, that wc as British citizens should remember thai; day and celebrate it. . . . Anzacs to-night, whether they bo here or on tho other side of the world, will remember what took placo on the original Anzac Day. They will never forget that day. Deeds were done that day which have scarcely ever been equalled and hnvo never been excelled In all the battles of history. AVe are hero to-night to celebrate them. (Applause.) Some o,f those men, said Mr. Massey, would never come back. They lay under sontD or other of the groups of'white crosses on that foreign sou, but their memories would never be forgotten. Our sorrow, for their loss was mingled with pride in the knowledge that they had died as bravo men in the grandest cause that men could fight for. Somo there were who had come back, and some there were who were still fighting and glorying in w.hat they were able to do. He referred to tho proposal he had made for the award of a spccyil Gallipoli medal to (very soldier who had taken part in that campaign. He was bound to say that the proposal when he had first mado it had not been enthusiastically received, but it had not been turned down, and he was glad to say that his proposal had tho endorsement of tho commander of the British troops in that great'campaign, Sir lan Hamilton. He still hoped' that after the war it might bo possible to arrange, as part of tho terms of peace, that at least that portion of Gallipoli where our men had fought and died should come under British rule, and bo J.Did by the Blitish authorities sacred to the men who had laicl down theix lives on that alien field. The spirit of Anzac still lived, and he believed that tbc_ spirit that animated our men on Gallipoli would assist in winning tho victory which alone would bring the peace that tho whole world desired. • (Applause.) Major F. Waite, D.5.0., gave his lecture on Gallipoli in abridged_ form, showing Ins fine collection of views of the historic places on the Peninsula during the time of the fighting. It was an interesting story told with simplicity but with truth and vigour, and it served to keep the audience in mind of the occasion that they were celebrating.

| Brigadier-General Sir Robert Anderson, the Australian visitor, who is making innuiry into the expenditure of tho New Zealand Defence Department, talked for I a timo about the men of Anznc as he had !=oen them in Cairo and elsewhere. Ho had several good jests about the feud that was supposed to exist between the Australians and the New Zealanders behind the fighting fronts, a feud which was never really ended until tho men of tho two forces fought together in real earnest, and they learned to have respect and even admiration one for another. He .spoke of the- good fortune of these countries so izr from the scene of the war, especially.of happy and prosperous New Zealand. ' "Good luck to her, say I," ho said. "You are fortunate people. You have never made a mistake. Go on as you are doing. ■ You have had your own little dilferojiccs. of eourse. but in all the big questions that have been raised by this war you have been right every time."

Major F. H. Lnmpen, D.5.0., save a few of his impressions of the "Western front, but lie made his impressions frankly frivolous. He said that war in reality was too horrible to talk about, but it was remarkable how many there wbtc in it who kept their smiles nnd joyous temperament in (lie face of the most hopeless misfortune. It was of these that lie told his stories. He devoted most of his talk to a soldier's appreciation of the French people, and their whole-hearted effort in this war. Among the people who had not forgotten how to smilo the smile of unsubdued gladness were some French soldiers he had seen who had been in tho tragedy of Verdun for IGO days, in that lontr series of battles where Hie French Army suffered no fewer than <tl)0,00fl casualties! Last of all Colonel ,T. G. Hushes, D.5.0., told some stories about things that were done on Gallipoli. It was by this time getting lnte. however, and Colonel Hughes had to shorten his sneech. There were two remarkably fine dis-plaj-s of physical drill and bayonet fighting by a squad of instructors' in these departments of soldier knowledge, at the New Zealand training camps. Certainly no better displays of the kind have been seen in this country at any time. MEMORIAL AT TOWN HALL. An Anzac commemoration service is to be held to-day at the Town Hall, and will be conducted by Arniv Chaplains 'I'. V. Tavlor, (!. A. Owles, and D. D. Scott. Lieutenant-Colonel W. K. Fylf", M.D., will preside r.t the organ. Their Excellencies the Governor-General and tho Countess of Liverpool will attend. A meeting is to be held at the Commercial Travellers' Club at norm, when short addresses will be given by the Prime ■>rii.:y.. r . Si- r n«P|il. \V-.f,l Tfnn. ('!. AV Rnssflll, and* Hon. A. At. Myers. A service will be hold in Trimly Method 1 •' Cllllirh ]>l; 7.45 ll.in. The annua] Anzac dinner and reunion will bo held at the Concert Chamber in the evening. A memorial service by scholars of Clyde Quay School is to he held at the Paramount Theatre nl 10.30 this morning. A special Anzac Day service is lo be held at St. John's Church this «veni">r. Chaplain Olds, 11.A., and the Rev. Dr. Pinfold will speak at ihe Anznc service in Trinity Atetliodisf Church ln-»igh(. The cornorntion offices will I> P closed to-day. 'The nuhlic libraries will a'-'n be closed, with (lie exception of (he reading-room at the Central Librnrv,wliich will bo open from D.Hfl till noon, nnd from 7.30 n.m. li'l 10 p.m. Tho offices of Tnu Dominion will ba rWml p--ni I p.m. to 5 p.m. in honour of Anzac Day.