"LEST WE FORGET"

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 220, 11 June 1919, Page 4

"LEST WE FORGET"

ENGLAND AND HER DOMINIONS. "The Captains;and the Kings depart." So sang Kipling in-his best-known poem, of which the refrain' was Lest we iorget." But thero .are others departing from us now, who," though .wo slial never forget them, are being. offered every inducement to vf.orget u.s,..says .the London "World." -■ They aro the-officers, non-commissioned officers, , : .and. men ot tho forces which 'Australia, Canada, Aow Zealand, South Africa, and every smaller dependency of. tiiaCrown sent'ungrudgingly and promptly to help us to beat the' Hun. These msu came' of .their own free will, and many, many thousnnds of them will never return. And those of them who aro returning are leaving this country without'one single word of thanks or of "God-speed from His Majesty's . Government, which owes so much to' their valour. ' No excuse is needed for emphasising the discourtesy and even more, the appalling blindness of tho Government in this matter. Our future is inextricably bound up with the future of our dominions mid dopenencioa, and wo might at east thank their soliders for what they have done. Perhaps they do not mind neglect:-they were not self-seeking,'they did not think of rewards and thanks ,But; : if they do feel' an emptiness of heart as they drift back' to their homes, I hope they will understand that the people of. England will'never forget tliein; even if the Gov'eniment keeps a blank aiu}. impassive face for them, and. not even Mr. Churchill can'find time to get_ them together and.saH'lt, only ..remains, for me to dismiss,you with, -the thanks of the country"for your 'services —tlio.imgriidgcd meed of so "comparatively unimportant'a person as. every .grand-jury-man. ■ .