"LEST WE FORGET.”

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4966, 26 April 1926, Page 2

"LEST WE FORGET.”

' .ANZAC DAY PARADE. IMPRESSIVE CEREMONY. In common with other parts of the civilised world, Paeroa solemnly observed Anzac Day yesterday. A large parade, comprising 20 terri--torials, .4'6 senior carets, 60 boy scouts, 39 girl guides, and 37 members of the Brownie troop, assembled a.t the high school grounds'at 2 o’clock. Captain E. A. Porritt, M.C., was in charge of. the para.de. assisted by Lieut. W. L. Lawrence and SecondLieuts. R. B. Penlington and J. M. Fox. Staff S'ergt.-Major (W.0.) N. C. Busby acted as marshal. There was a.lso a fair sprinkling of returned soldiers, in charge of Lieut. W. Forrest. - Promptly at 2 p.m. His Worship the Mayor (Mr W. Marshall), accompanied by Brevet Lieut.-Colonel Andrews, 0.8. E., N.Z. S.C„ Lieut, V, J, Innes; N.Z.S.C., borough councillors, and Messrs C. H. Pascoe (chairman of the School Committee), W. F. Johnstone (chairman of the Ohinemuri County Council), and W. C. Alexander (town clerk)' —comprising ,the offi'eial party ■—arrived at the school, and on beliaif of .the citizens of Paeroa the Mayor laid a, beautiful wreath at. the foot of the school Roll of Honour, after which many other wreaths were placed in position. 4 - At'2.ls ptm. the parade moved off, and headed- by the Salvation Army band, under’ Bandmaster E. Martin, marched to the Gaiety Theatre, where a Citizens’ ;Commemoration Service was, held. The- Mayor presided, and seated on the stage, with him were the official p’a,rty and representatives of the various. Protestant denominations. The theatre was crowded, and a number of people found standing room only. . The service, opening with the National Anthem, wa;a on similar lines to previous ones. An inspiring address was delivered by Pastor J. Clark (Hamilton.). In commencing, the speaker congratulated the citizens- on the reverent and whole-heart-ed nature pf the proceedings.. He said he felt ’ convinced tha,t there, could never be a more sacred day than Anzac Day, and when the anniversary- fell on a Sunday the combination was most impressive, and a soul must be .as .good as dead that did not. realise it. After referring to the, part played 'by the Colonial troops; in .the Landing Mr Clark said the trend of. events showed that a, .movement on the pa;rt. of-.the Deity to take a strong hand in the development of the World had commenced. He went on to show -how .marvellously this phase, had started, and instanced that Dr. George Adapt Smith, the great Scottish scholar apd historian, had been, led to realise that a more correct geography of Palestine was a necessity in our and so impressed with this thought was he that he,sought the co-operation of a competent civil engineer, and they together had spent about two yeiays in the preparation of the noxy famous pook of the doctor’s. General Allenby, who was appointed. by the Imperial Government, - made the acquaintance of this book, and after he had succeeded, in driving the .Turks out of Jerusalem and Palestine, apd was being praised for his great achievement, when he, in abnegation, replied to his flatterers; “You -give me too much-credit, gentlemen, since I owe largely to Dr. Smith’s geography the chief debt for the result so. rejoicing to us, all.” There was no reason to believe that, either of those, gredt men had a. single thought of fulfilling the sacred prophes?'. of (<6d’s Holy Word, wherein it was declared that the Jews would in due time return to their Shiloh or proper home. It was fitting to remember .'.with deepest gratitude the sacred memory of our own boys. It -wat also, right and proper that citizens- should make their hearts a casket, whsrein to treasure the memory of their valorous deeds. The storming of Gallipoli’s •rugged hegihts under a murderous fire of shot and! shell could never /be effaced from memory.' Such memories could never be depicted tn pictures. While pictures Indicated war stories of shot and shell and sheets of fire, they could not visualise the suffering and misery of wounded anl broken soldiers; nor the sobs of mothers and widows, indicating their heart-aches. In conclusion Mr Clark counselled the gathering never to forget such sacred matters, and to regularly commemorate. yearly the wonden’i'i sacrifices and achievements of the Anzacs coupled with the. work of the glorious women who shared in their suffer-, ings. The service with the sounding of The Last Post by Trum-peter-Major T. Bell, an ex-member of the First Australian Light Then followed one millute’s solemn silence, followed''by the playing of the cavalry reveille, indicative of the dawn of a happier day.