TUB GLORIOUS DEAD

Hokitika Guardian, 26 April 1921, Page 3

TUB GLORIOUS DEAD

AI LON OF ANZAC. STRIKING SPEECH BY K.S.A. PRESIDENT. WELLINGTON. April 23. A feature of yesterday’s ceremony by which the AYellington Boys’ College commemorated the landing of the Anita es on Gallipoli, was an address hy Mr \Y. Perry, President of the Returned Soldiers’ Association.

Air Perry said it was with feelings of some emotion that lie came there as an old hoy of the school to join with the present hoys in commemorating Anzao Day, a day which, he trusted, always would lie remembered hy all the people of the British Empire, and particularly by the people of Australia and New Zealand, for on that day the world was shown the solidarity of the British Empire and Australia and New Zealand found their nationhood. As years went on he hoped April 2->tb would never he allowed to pass without the people assembling to keep fresh tho memory of those to whom the day was dedicated. NOT OF THE GLORIES OF AVAR. tie had not come to talk of the glories of war, for the glories war brought to a few were far outweighed hy the miseries it brought to many. Rather had he come to tell them of the motive behind those men who went to make the supreme sacrifice—those men who lay in France, in Egypt, on Gallipoli, under the waters of the seven seas, w ith the colours for their shroud. There was no selfish motive, no motive of wild irresponsible adventure, no hope of reward or ( fear of punishment. Theirs was the greatest of all motives, that of duty. AVhen the call came they stepped forward from the highest to the lowest to do their duty. The miner came from the mine, the artisan from his work, the student put aside his hooks, and the professional man left

Itis practice, all in order Llint they j might go away to light for the Empire. ! The heart of the nation was represented by its lighting men, whether on 9 land or at sea, or in the air; and the heart of the nation was sound. The

boys had read in their history books ol ; the storming of the heights of Ahra- , am; their own brothers, fathers, cousins in storming Gallipoli performed a feat of arms not dissimilar and not less glorious. The lesson he wanted to make was that the test of a man was not thi> clothes he wore or the occupation he followed. It was whether under the clothes there was a true and , loyal heart. It was not the brilliant, but the unselfish, that passed the acid test, when it came. NEVER FORGET U ‘EM. Every nation had its mto!1 of tame upon vfliich was -written ui letters of gold the names of the illustrious dead. The deeds performed by the people ol our race in the last great war should he enshrined for ever in <’i r hearts, and they would he if every time April ; 25th. came round we remembered the j sacrifice they made and tb< manner in ; which they made it. bet us remem- J her that great doctrine of Christianity: j “Greater love than this eo man hath than that he lay down his life for Ins friend.” When Anzac Day came round | keep it not so much a hoi-day as a holy day! Remember the deeds of our fellow-men of the British Empire, and forget not the admonition of St Paul: “pear God and honour the King. •‘Pci us never forget to honour their . memory ,for it is,to the deeds they performed that we owe the freedom that is yours and mine Peace be to theii ashes.”