Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star FRIDAY, JULY 18th, 1919. THE GREAT DELIVERANCE.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 July 1919, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star FRIDAY, JULY 18th, 1919. THE GREAT DELIVERANCE.

To-morrow is to be the outward and visible sign of rejoicing to mark the world’s Great Deliverance from a ruthless foe. In what spirit should we enter upon the festivities ? To answer this question we must remember what the great occasion symbolises. The end of tho war came as a great relief to most folk. They woke to find a great load removed. The burden of every day life, palled by the weight of war, was removed suddenly and the unexpected had come to pass surprisingly. Tho days of slaughter were past. The terrible days of trial, for the beleaguered and outcast were at an end. A new day had dawned and peace was ushered in. The relief was in extreme contrast to tlie anxious days which had gone before, and that relief gave lighter hearts and quicker steps. To those who had escaped the penalties of war, the relief was a great reward for the patience and endurance with which they faced the rigors of war, and the sacrifices called for. The multitude revelled in the Great Deliverance and rejoiced exceedingly; but withal there were still the many who had poignant feelings for those who had fallen and for those who had suffered. Then as now our feelings must be tinged with an unquenchable regret for those who had given themselves in sacrifice that those who remained might enjoy the fruits of the Great Deliverance. With all our rejoicings there arc still the deep shadows of the 'past through which we have passed to remind us of tho fallen, the orphaned and the suffer_ ing. The Great Deliverance with all tho security for the future it offers us; with all the opportunity for the betterment of the world, carries in its train a reminder that the new born /conditions were dearly bought with human life, sacrifice and sufferings, and the portion which is ours today, is so only because of those who did their duty in the true national spirit. This is the spirit we should translate into the peace celebrations we are now talcing in hand. TVe want to introduce into our public life, into oug citizen life, ijnto our domestic life, a spirit of equal degree. The fine ability and courage of our manhood and womanhood which endured for the winning of the war might mot appropriately lie carried into the civil life, and so flood the Dominion that arid wastes where politics are unfruitful, or desert places made so by industrial strife, might be turned by the splendid spirit which carried us to victory, into fruitful areas giving point and directness to the political life and reproductive activity in all industrial channels. If wo would appreciate the opportunity of the Gront Deliveraneo we should do no less, so that our country might become the envy in political and industrial activities as our magnificent New Zealand Army did in the stern fields of action in Europe and Asia. Our soldiers achieved a wonderful record in the part played to bring about the Great Deliverance, and in the celebration of this grand occasion the merits of their service and the fruits passed on fo us, and later to posterity, must not be forgotten. This will bo remembered in the right way if in the same unselfish way we fight the battle of life for the common good.