ARMISTICE DAY

Hokitika Guardian, 11 November 1920, Page 3

ARMISTICE DAY

[jpjSH PEEKS AHBQOIATION. —COPYBIBHT.) WELLINGTON, November 10. Mis Etscellency the Governor-General has sent the following telegram to the Secretary of State for the Colonies: ‘‘On behalf of 'the Government and people of this Dominion, I desire to assure you that the thoughts of all wU!| reverently turned towards the solemn and impressive ceremony at Westminster Abbey to-morrow, and the mem ■ ory of the great and glorious dead so W* touchingly and fittingly honoured will bo present in all hearts during the two minutes silence which will be observed throughout the Dominion.” (Signed) Jellicoe. The King lays a wreath on the cenotaph at Whitehall to-day, . followed by representatives of the Dominion and Colonies, who will also deposit a wreath. Marshal Foch and General Weygand will go to Boulogne to be present at y the embarkation of the unknown war- ' rior’s body. Marshal Wilson has telegraphed to Marshal Foch, stating: “All- ranks deeply appreciate your present at the moment when our unknown warrior is passing from the dear soil of France to a Home in Westminster Abbey.” A quantity of earth has been brought from France in order to fill up the abbey grave. THE EMPIRE’S TRIBUTE. HONORING THE DEAD. THE UNKNOWN WARRIOR. (Received This Day at 9.45 a.m.) LONDON, November 10. To-day, the body of an unknown British warrior, started the journey across the Channel to London. It was a sunny morning. The body lay all night guarded by poilus in the historic thirteenth century chateau near Notre Dam Boulogne, in >a chapel which was a j bower of flowers, the walls being masked by roses, .lilies and carnations and , the floor deeply strewn with, the petals of flowers and laurel leaves* At ten o’clock the French Army Service Waggon drove up, and the trumpets of the cavalry and bugles of the infantry, sounded the “aux chaips”. ■ After the coffin was placed on the ; waggon, the trumpets and bugles announced Foch’s coming. The Marshal took up a position with Admiral Grassett and General MacDonegh (representing King George) and marched dircsfcly after the coffin, draped, in a torn, } stained Union Jack, beneath which , could just be seen the outline of a sword, which the King had sent in honour of the unknown. 1 MOTION OF LOYALTY. WELLINGTON, This Day. \ The anniversary of the signing of the ; armistice between the Allies and Ger-* ] many was commemorated in the House j in a simple impressive manner. At two "f minutes to 11 the Speaker asked members to stand'.and all remained stand- f ing till eleven. Then the Prime Minister rose in his seat and said he wished 0 to move the following resolution, which ( , he would ask Mr Sidey, in the absence r of the Leader of the Opposition, to second : r “On this, the second anniversary £ of Armistice Day, and at the close v of the first session of the twentieth { < Parliament, we, members of the House of Representatives, desire to record, on behalf of the people of New Zealand that the loyalty of thq Dominion to the King and to the British. Empire of which we proudly form part, and to its con- , stitution, which guarantees our freedom remains as steadfast in time of peace as it did throughout ihe long years of war, and we desire also to record our earnest hope that during this difficult period of reconstruction, our fellow subjects in every country under the British flag may sink all sectional differences, and unite for the continued' maintenance of the integrity of the Empire, the promotion of its commercial and industrial prosper- j ity and welfare and happiness of its '| peoples.” k Hon. W. F. Massey said he thought it was not necessary to make a speech a but he would say that the courage, loyalty and determination were just as v necessary now as during the war, when the citizens of the Empire were fighting ; for the Empire’s existence on the fields of Flanders and in other theatres of t war. v Mr Sidey in seconding the motion, said he was in complete accord with g the motiqn, which it was fitting the | House should pass on tliis memorable anniverary. The motion was carried and members sang the National Anthem. The House then proceeded with its business. * _ AN IMPRESSIVE CEREMONY. FRANCE’S GREAT TRIBUTE. \ * ’i. ( f (Received this day at 12.25 p.in) LONDON, Nov. 10. A body of 1870 campaign soldiers, . wounded in the great war, followed Marshal Foch and also fifty - soldiers’ orphans whom the French call “wards of the nation.” The route of 1] miles was crowded throughout, particularly by widows and bereaved mothers. The catafalgue stopped at the Quay, beside the French battleship Verdun. The procession grouped on three sides of a square. Marshal Foch advanced, and speak- 1 ing with the deepest emotion paid a 1 tribute to the valour, without equal, of 1 the “Contemptible Little British Army of 1914.” 1 General MacDonagh expressed the, 1 British nation’s gratitude to France £pr 1 1 the way she had honoured an unknown warrior. Eight big built British war- j riors, including an Australian and Can- 1 adian, then raised the coffin and moved j up the gangway. j The deep hush was only broken by the bosun’s pipe from the Verdun. Three times the weird note sounded, being an honour usually granted to Admirals and , Captains. I Wreaths from the French Army and ( Navy, and other trophies were placed on ( the coffin on the deck, four blue jackets taking up a position with arms reversed and heads bowed.

Marshal Foch ddvalicitig alone to „ the water edge, stood at the salute as the Verdun steamed out of the harbour and joined the escort of a French flotilla which greeted it with a Field Marshall’s salute of nineteen guns.