ARMISTICE DAY

Hokitika Guardian, 13 November 1929, Page 6

ARMISTICE DAY

REMEMBRANCE FESTI VAL

V.C.’S AT ALBERT HALL

(United Press Association—By Electric • Telegraph.—Copyright.)

LONDON, Nov. 12

A drenching gale did not deter thousands who waited about the Albert Hall to participate in the British Legion’s festival of Empire remembrance. Within ten minutes of the opening of the doors the building was packed out. The greatest ovation was accorded the Prince of Wales, the holders of the Victoria Cross, and a grand patriotic fantasia in which were representatives of the Empire. The Prince, with Lord Jcllicoe and Lady Jellicoe, occupied a box which resembled a beautiful bower of Flanders poppies. They wore lounge suits, and smoked cigars. The Prince of Wales’ entry was the signal for an ear-splitting demonstration, the audience rising and waving programmes. Sections commenced “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow,” till the organ took it up, and the building reverberated when the Holders of the V.C. appeared on the stage and marched to the aisle. The audience’s vociferousness was unbounded. There were poignant scenes as the heroes met comrades. There were many handshakes, and one ex-service man from the body of the stalls rushed up to a V.C. winner and embraced him, French fasli-

The Prince read the following message from the King: “Please convey to the ex-servicemen and women my sincere thanks for the loyal terms ol the message addressed to me on the eleventh anniversary of the Armistice. I am touched by the kind way they referred to my recovery. I hope that, on some future occasion, it may be possible for me again to be present at this great festival of which I retain the most stirring recollections..” The Prince said: “I know, old comrades, how sincerely we hope that His Majesty will be able to attend a similar gathering in a year’s time. "While Armistice Day was once a day of relief and rejoicing, it has now become a day of remembrance, full of inexpressible thoughts which will be with us at each successive anniversary till our days end.” The Prince concluded with an appeal to support the British Legion’s sick, destitute and unemployed members. The Prince waved cheerily to tlm V.C. winners, who reciprocated. Then the audience again joined in terrific applause. As the evening progressed, the festival adopted a concert aspect, which lather wearied a sectoin of the audience. Slight interruptions marred the solos. This contrasted with the community singing of war time favourites. The audience demanded encores, which massed hands rendered splendidly.

The last section of the festival dynamically contrasted with the first part. The entire proceedings adopted a cathedral-like dignity and solemnity. The silence was almost felt, when Colonel Robert Lorame recited '‘They Shall Grow Not Old,” after which one million poppies were showered on the audience, each poppy memorising the Empire’s dead The festival was strikingly democratic; AY lien the Prince of AYalcs and Lord Jellicoe walked from the platform to the aisle, the ex-service men shook hands with both, and slapped them on the hack, while the assemblage roared appreciation.

LONDON DINNER

LONDON, Nov. 12

The Armistice dinner of the Authors’ Clul) proved an Australian night. General Bridges was the guest of honour. He spoke on Armistice Day which he described as Australia’s real war celebration. General Bridges expressed the opinion that the prime error that the Germans made before the war was in misjudging the psychology of the Empire. There would have been no war if the Germans lmd had a prevision of what the Australians and New Zealanders did at Anzac Cove, and that wonderful Bth. of August, which was a real Black Day for Germany, when the Australians made a hole twelve miles deep in the German line—a feat unknown in war up to that time. He had to say why the Dominions rallied to the Mother Country, he was inclined to think the real explanation was that there was an immense number of men overseas full of the lust of adventure. Tbe world war was an adventure for Die .men of the Dominions, similar to the colonisation efforts of their forbears. General Bridges continued: “T have met many Australians who told mo that they had enjoyed the war. One man whose wounds ran into double figures, said that they wore the jolliest four years of bis life. These men are very different from the gloomy follows found in the majority of latter-day war novels.”

Professor AY. A. Osborne, of Afelhourne University (who lias just arrived in London after a tour of the United States and Mexico). said: “Never since the war period was there such a friendly feeling in the United States in favour of the British Empire. As for England itself, when people say it is invaded by the white ant. don’t believe it.”

"Professor George Henderson, of Adelaide University, paid a tribute to the a (feet ion of tlio people of South Australia for (tenoral Eridges. Commander A. R. Hall, of tin* Re-

nown, described Anzac Day in Melbourne in 1927, and said that the 28,000 soldiers' partaking in the celebrations were a memory that a lover of the Empire would never forget.

THE V.C.’S,

LONDON, Nov. 13,

Undoubtedly the Victoria Crossers, though heroes, are thoroughly democratic, and devoted the interval to appeasing hungry autograph hunters, who included many Scouts and Guides who participated in the pageant for the first time. The concensus of opinion of the Legion officials is that the festival is becoming more informal year by year. To-night the audience wore no uniforms, and no evening dress. One official epitomised the sentiment of the gathering as “the greatest reunion of old comrades, relatives and friends, with just one touch of solemnity, characterised by the last line of the poem, “We shall remember them!”

RAIN IN LONDON. x

LADY HAIG BUSY

LONDON, November 11

Constant rain in London is expected seriously to interfere with the Poppy Day receipts, which had been expected to be a record.

Lady Haig had a remarkably strenuous day. Before leaving London at 8.25 a.m for Liverpool in Lady Bailey’s aeroplane, she visited Smithfield, Saint Bartholomew’s Hospital, and Covent Garden, and she reached Liverpool five minutes before the silence. She stood with bowed head in the rain, and then she motored to Birkenhead, where she laid a wreath on the Cenotaph. She finally returned, to Liverpool to open the Haig. Memorial Home there.

FRENCH CELEBRATIONS. PARIS, November 11. The chief ceremony on Armistice Day was at tTie Arc De Triomphe. . President Doumergue, Prime Minister Tardieu, and other members of the Cabinet laid wreaths on the Unknown Soldier’s Tomb. Cannons announced the one minute silence, after which troops and hands defiled before the tomb and saluted the President. The day was observed as a general holiday. M. CLEMENCEAU VISITED. An interesting incident was a visit to AT. Clemenceau by a delegation of vetreans. AT. Clemenceau, chatting with the delegation, said: “Thank you for thinking of an old man who must soon disappear, but whose last wishes will he for the future greatness of my country.’’ -When the delegation said they hoped to visit him yearly, M. Clemenceau said,Well that means we shall all meet again in 1930.”

CELEBRATIONS IN INDIA. Oloce.’ved this flay at 8.30. a.m.) , DELHI, November 12. Armistice celebrations were held throughout India. At Calcutta there was a'garrison parade and the Governor laid a wreath on the cenotaph. Nearly four hundred-' ex-servicemen attended a re-union dinner at the Grand Hotel in the evening.