PETONE'S CELEBRATION

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 186, 26 April 1918, Page 6

PETONE'S CELEBRATION

UNFURLING THE FLAG IN MEMORY OF GALLIFOLI An AnzacSDay celebration service was held at Petoue ye&terciay afternoon, in tiie presence of a very'large crowd. A platform, had been erected around the flagstaff outside the railway station fo* visitors and the Trentham Camp Band. The Mayor of Petone (Mr. J. \V. M'livrau) presided; and the Minister of Knnnco (Sir Joseph Ward), tho Minister of Railways (Hon. W. 11. Hemes), the Minister of Justice (Hon. T. M. VVilford), and Colonel Pottor, Commandant of Treutham Camp, ivero among those present. The Mayor, in opening the proceedings, paid a tribute to the Anzac heroes, and said that Petone people had gathered to mark their continued appreciation of the great deeds that jiad been performed on Gallipoli three years ago.

Sir Joseph Ward referred to the splendid achievements at the landing in Anzac Cove. He said that tho troops of Netv Zealand and Australia had been on Gallipoli almost ten months, and they had almost triumphed. If good Jortuno had attended them, they would have succeeded even in the face of tho enormous difficulties they had: encountered. If thosiresponsible for Fne attack on the Dardanelles had '/lad the prescience to provide adequate landing foroea at the timo when the warships attacked the Dardanelles In December, I'JU, tlie desired end would have been achieved. But lack of iinal success had not doiracted from the glory <von by the men who fought. Tlie total New Zealand casualties on Gallipoli w«o 7939. Of this number 882 men were killed, 5G2 died of rounds, and 2(i3 died of disease. Then there were 5099 men wounded, and .13 becaiuo prisoners of war. Sir Joseph Ward added that he believtd the nation was facing the third anniversary of tho Gallipoli landing with as firm a determination as ever that the sacrifices made at Anzac, should not bo in vain. Tho war continued, and no man could say how near, or how distant, tho end might be. Certainly nobody had believed in 19U i:liat New Zealand would send 100,000 -soldiers to face the highlytrained troops of tho Central Powers, and to provo that fhey wore at least the equal of any troops in the world. Now Zealand had ulayed her part in tho war without faltering, and was prepared to go on to tho end. Ho believed that the end would come whon ihe British ilag flew in Berlin. (Applause.) The children i.f the Petone School, witli band accompaniment, bang "God Save the King" imkl 'lie "Marseillaise." 'Ihb Hon. W. H. Herries unfurled the New Sjontli Wales flag given to the Petone railway workers by fcllow-worKprs in Australia. He eaid that the name Anzao meant that Now Zealand and Australia had recognised their unity so far as the war was concerned. The Empire bad still a hard task before it. There were great sacrifices still to bo made. But tho nation was .not going back upon the memory of the hsvs whose white crosses stood on Gallipoli Peninsula. Tho Minister mentioned that the railway service hud sent 7000 men to the front, and that tho roll of honour contained ihe names of seven men from the Petone Woi*S Thn Hon. T. M. Wilfonl Fnid Hint nfl-or tho war tho mark of\the beast would

be on tlio forehead oi every Herman tor ii century to conic. "AiU-r tuu day there's a price, to imy." Sumo great man had said [Hat it was impossiulo to indict a nation. Hut Ueriuany nad been indicted at tlio Supreme Court of civilisation, and had been guilty of the broaeli oi' every international law and of every canon ci humane and accent conduct. The Jianu's of the Germans responsiblo lor some of tho brutal, lawless actions of the enemy iina been placed on record by the British and trensh Governments, and at the end ot tlio war would coino ilio reckoning. The end of tho war might not bo ilear, but tlio end would bo ■worth tho price. He believed that from the welter ot' bloodshed would arise a league of nations, determined to enforce civilisation and order in international affairs, and to submit the dispute of nations to indicia! tribunals instead of tlio arbitrament of war. Mr. Wilton! added that lie hoped every New Zcaliindor realised the importance of helping. Was every man doing his best? It was easy to pick faults and offer destructivo criticism. Any gooso could -hiss. Bui: what the nation needed w.is unity of effort and unity of dt'tormiuation. The proceedings closed with the National Anthem and cheers for the Ministers.