ANZAC DINNER

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

ANZAC DINNER

"NATIONAL DEATH BEFORE DEFEAT" MR. MASSEY'S. SENTIMENTS A dinner under the auspices of the Wellington itetiirneri Soldiers' Association in eommeuiuralion of Anzac Day was held in tho Town Hall last night. About dtil) returned soldiers were present, and among the invited guests were the Prune Minister (the Eight Hon. AV. F. Massey), Sir Joseph Ward, Major-General Bobin, Colonel Gibbon, Brigadier-General Sir liobert Anderson, the Mayor of Wellington (Mr. J. P. Lute), and mcimWs of the Returned Soldiers' Clubhouse Society. Mr. J. J). Harper, president of the Wnllington Returned Soldiers' Association, was iu the chair. The first toast was, of course, "The King," and then followed "Fallen Comrades," tho flitter honoured by the tornpany upstanding, in siience,' Snnpor .). L Fox profrOsNi "The illicd Cause.' He eauf that on last Anzuc Day they had all hoped that on thin anniversary they would have their boys back again, but the fates had willed it otherwise. The boys were instead on tht> plood-staiued fields of Franco and I'landt)M. He was sure now, ns he had always been, Miat the Allied cause vould triumph. A seed had been sow« wnich would grow into tho tree of tht brutberlicxKi of man, the uprising of acuiucrucy And the freedom it would bring tu tho l«;up;e;> ui thb worid. He spoito of tho uutision ot the I'rimo Minister ana fcuJu«fcpi Ward, a mission not at uli enyinbie, he tnought. They were going Ifomw to take part in tho councils Jf the Empire, to represent the fi.'htero jfho had answered the clarion call to battlt. If the supplies of men should run out, the returned soldiers would be ready to go again. Tho returned solK '"' S stoad for the Prosecution wf tho -Hon. W. F. Jlassay said ho wished to thank the proposer of the toast tor his kind remarks about himself, and the company for tho enthusiastic reception .of the toast. Tho historian of tho uture when he had the perspective of limo would perhaps be ablo to do justice to the events of tlio last few years but it was not possible to do it now. ihe Germans had from the beginning I set out to destroy the smaller nations— ■ Serbia, Belgium, and Eumauia. He reI iorml also to the example of German, methods in Eussia. The Allied nations had much to fight for, if the world was to bo saved from like oppression. In tho last few hundred years the alliances and enmities of European nations had changed many times, but now the troops ot Britain, the United States, and France were fighting shoulder to shoulder, having forgotten all such differences as they had had in past times, and were now united for the cause, of freedom, "to save tho world for civilisation. Mr. Maesey spoke of other times in the history of Britain when the 'fate of tlio Empire was in the balance, and said that the present gave no reason for despair. Unfortunately thero wero a number of men in tho hall who wero very noisy, and Mr. Massey could not be heard continuously—at times scarcely at all. Mr. Massey spoke of all the campaigns being carried on by the Allied arms, pointing; to the important successes achieved in the so-called lesser theatres of war.. It was our duty, he said, to fight on to the end, preferring national death to defeat acknowledged with dishonour. He was sure, however, that tin , result of the war would be victory and national glory. Mr. Massey read the cablegram received from General Birdwood, which is published under a separate heading. Sir Joseph Ward also spoke in response to the toast. He ?aid that the Allied cause was founded on the immutable law of truth and justice. England did not want to go to war. Ho hoped that tliey would all live to see the Iriumiih of the Allies, to see the Union Jack carried , across Germany to float over Berlin. (Anplauso.) As a section of the Tohirnerl men continued to make a great deal of noise further sppcnli-mnln!"' vn.s abandoned, and no effort was made to comnlote the projrrnmmo of Hie evening. The National Anthem was sung, and the gathering dispersed.