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Hokitika Guardian, 10 November 1930, Page 4

To-.mohhow will mark the commemoration of the twelfth anniversary of Armistice Day. It is a memorable day in the annals of world history, for it marks the close of what is historically known a,s the world’s great wiar. It was at 11 o’clock on the forenoon of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the year 1918, that the “cease- fire” sounded and rebounded along the great front of the European and other theatres whore the war was being waged. The war had taken its toll ol life and treasure, and the enemy was ready to sue for ppaco at any price, The terms were not easy. They were designed to reduce tho fighting enemy to a negligible force so that never again would Europe or tho world he faced with so great a conflict. r J here has been some (suggestion to cease to observe Armistice Day as an anniversary, hut it is of such importance in the world calendar, that surely it would he an omission of disastrous effect not to remind tho world at large of the import of the anniversary. Certainly at the first Armistice Day there wan an excess of jubilation, hut that could hardly ho wondered at for a greattension had ended, a great victory had been won, and tho world prepared to face a reign of peace-. Unfortunately the hopes moulded at that time have not come to pass. Peace we have had, hut marred by a long serious struggle. in the effort to repair the wastage and the cost of the war, The war took a heavy toll from friend and foe 1 alike, arid no country has been the same since. The financial tennis put upon the enemy were heavy, but so were the liabilities on ’ the victors lor their cost ol winning the war. It is still being paid for in heavy annual sums, and the financial drain will go on. A new generation who know little of the experience of a great war is coming into being, and to-morrow is an occasion to remind them of the human sacrifice made for the national safety. Part of the financial sacrifice will pass on to fliiyse who come after, but they aio living in a. safer atmosphere, nod enjoy a. security which would he missing had the enemy triunvnlmd. To-morrow is a memorial day in which all are interested and concerned for the lesson of valour and saei iliee it commemorates.