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Hokitika Guardian, 12 November 1931, Page 4

The commemoration of Armistice Day of 1918 yesterday, was a potent reminder of the war period and .all its sacrifices. The High Commissioner of Australia,, who had visited recently the war graves on the Continent, was able to paint a vivid picture of the enormous loss of life and all the great sacrifice and suffering entailed. To-day the world nations involved in the war are loaded with debt which has to be shouldered by the present and coming generations. The state of the world finance has dislocated trade and industry, and protection has to face an impoverished market. J no position grows more and more acute, and the principal Powers are now disposed to work out some form of relief, but the process will be slow, and the burden will have to be borne in many ways yet for years to come. As the event marking the termination of the long drawn out hostilities, Armistice Day which presaged peace, came as a great relief to the combatants and the world at large. The victors were able to impose the conditions of victory, for the enemy bad grown exhansfred. But ehe greatest relief was in feeling that the period of intense sacrifice had ended, and the world could return again to the pursuits of peace. But the abnormal conditions remained in another form relating mainly to the financial effect of the war. That continues an ever present source of concern aajl difficulty, and will remain so .for long to come. The record of the war was the ready manner in which the nations met the demands of ,the occasion. Sacrifice was made readily in the hopes of early victory. It was long delayed, and whin the British Em-

pire the demands were exacting. Although the war x>eriod brought’ the Motherland and tile Dominions close (together, the intimacy has not endured. Th.ro were hopes of a more Eili.Vl Empire, or.cli pa./ nor continuing to help each other and so the quicker hastening the recovery from the drain of war. There are signs that something in that direction will shortly come to pass. So in remembering the fallen and their sacrifice for tlie national good, o it may well be a symbol of the national inter-relations of all' parts of the Empire, and out of it a greater Empire may continue to grow for the benefit of world peace.