ARMISTICE DAY

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 37, 8 November 1920, Page 2

ARMISTICE DAY

THE OFFICIAL OBSERVANCE

TWO MINUTES' SILENCE

His Excellency tie Governor-General 'i has received the following cablegram from tho Secretary of State for the Colonies in connection with tho observance of Armistice Day in Great Britain:It has been decided that on Thursday, November 11, being the second anniversary of the armistice, Ceno, taphin Whitehall shall bo unveiled by His Majesty the King, and thai as part of the ceremony on that dn.J shall be buried in Westminster Abbej an unknown British warrior, whosa body shall bo taken from amongst those buried in France. Every precaution will bo taken to prevent his identity being known. Coffin will bo brought to Cenotaph, where it will bo met by the King, attended by representatives of the whole Empire. Thero will bo a 6hort service at the Cenotaph, consisting of the singing of the hymn "0 God Our Help in Ages Past," and the Lord's Prayer. Till* service will bo so timed that unveiling of Cenotaph takes place at 11 a.m. exactly, after which, there will bo

two minutes' silence, followed by the "Last Post." Wreaths will then be laid by His Majesty, the.Prime Minister, and representatives of tho Umpire. Funeral procession will then proceed to Abbey, where funeral service will take place, the body being buried in a in the nave of the Abbey. It is proposed that just ao last year there should bo during the two minutes' eilonce complete suspension of all normal business, work, and locomotion throughout United Kingdom, that thoughts of nil maybe concentrated on reverent remembrance of tho glorious dead. Mr. Mnssey read this cablegram in tho House of Representatives on Saturday.' He added that the people of New Zealand were equally interested In the ob-. snrvance of Armistice Day. He propos-' <ul on behalf of the Government, to ask tho 'public to celebrate the day in a. manner similar to that, detnilod for tho United Kingdom, particularly by the observance of two minutes' silenco'at eleven o'clock exactly. He. was asking the Minister of Internal Affairs to instruct his Department to issue requests to this effect. • i .Mr. ,T. P. Luke (Wellington North) asked the Prime Minister if he would request the churches to hold services on that day.

Mr. Massoy said that of course it was open for any Church to- do 60. He would consult Cabinet, and decide whether requests should bo sent as suggested, ■ "