A WAR MEMORIAL

Hokitika Guardian, 14 November 1923, Page 1

A WAR MEMORIAL

Speaking at the unveiling of the M aiiewa County war memorial at tin.' entrance to the Little River Domain on Friday last llis Excellency the Go venior-Oeneral, Viscount Jellieoe said "I feel it- is indeed an honour to lie asked to come here and take part in a ceremony mi important as this is It wa- a lilting thing that His Majesty's representative in the Dominion oversea- should he invited to honour those men from the district who went to the war. If His Majesty the King were present, he would have been the first to express his gratitude as head cl the Empire, lor the great deeds that had been done ill serving the Fin pire "hen ii was in peril. His Excellency wa- glad that il had come to hi- lot. to rxpre-., in a small way. tin gratitude that was felt towards the -objects of the district, and to do

h'uhiur to the brave men whose name, appeared on i lie Hull of Hoiiuor. Aa liaval officer he was equally graDHc I to be pre-ml. lor in Ihe momentous days when the Navy and the New Zealand expeditionary Force were associated so clo-cly mi the shores o ; Gallipoli a snirit of comradeship had -fining up, and he hoped it would last, for ever, lie had heard brother officers speaking of the deeds of New Zealand men. Now Zealand had made a name in history which was never likely lo fade. "War is a very tor rihle thing,” His Kxcellency stated, “but I am not sure that war does not bring out some of the finest finalities in men and women, although it bring, out some of the worst.” Terrible ait was, ii brought forth, human finali-

ties of which everybody must he proud. He was not sure that penc had brought out. those same qualities. If the people ill peace time found the world a bei Lor place to live in they had a duty towards those who gave th'-ir ill to sec that the sacrifice was

nor niaiic in vain. They should practise the qualities which had been shown by the men lhal went at Hie call of the Empire and made the supreme sacrifice. He was glad to see tile comrades of those who fell. They knew what- the others had given for King and Country, what they had endured. He wished to quote a .-mail piece ol poetry, by Charles Rowen, which was aluio-i. prophetic. It was written shuttle aider (he Crimean War and it propho-iod that in the next war England and France would he beside each other. Ii was dedicated to the people overseas whose hearts were -till with the Old Country, and it stated that they would answer the call cl the .Motherland. It read;

i t!h. Fngland hear thee proudly j Li the dire ; need of war, ! i'er tile Mill,-, the sous of Freedom, Are sailing from alar. No lingering or debating. till the deadly fight be won. The maiden .-ends her lover. the mother send- her son. H;ey are gathering I'roii: the itiouniam and He- lee. I o rally rmi ltd I lie banner of tbe 1• • land- o! the Free. ( out inning, His Excellency -aid that hi the Waiiewa district, in perhaps i greater measure than in any other dis i lid in the South Island, the Maori and pakoha lived together. On Hie gate- there a t re the names of a numfier ot do-oendani of ihe Maoris who. in lla old i'iier, Jonght, one another but i! , bad gone to fight lb*- (or., man t. In iin distrbt. In bad Leg ; 0 ,,! . Manlier w.-.r memorial I,all '■looted !o ci ie!.,rale ,i victory ot ibe old days; even as the piv-enl one wain perpetuate the memory of the sob dim's of the Great, War. rg^fcgira&.ajaiwaa!Pß^^