WAR MEMORIALS

Lake County Mail, Issue 5, 25 June 1947, Page 3

WAR MEMORIALS

Practical or “ Cold Stone ” By Old Fogie The question of war memorials is everywhere 'exercising the minds of ex-servicemen organisations and the general public. There appears ■to be a wealth of differences as to the nature these memorials should take. It is difficult to understand why this should be so. In practically every city, town, and village of New Zealand, there is a monument of stone erected at considerable cost, to the memory of those who fell in the first world war. Dunedin has its cenotaph; Queenstown has its monument. It seems evident that the simple addition of the numerals 1939-1945 to the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London, will constitute Britain’s national memorial to the men and women who gave their all in the last war. It is obvious that the desire of the people in the United Kingdom is for memorials which will commemorate the dead by practical service to the living. A recent example is the decision of the Royal Army Medical Corps, which has a growing memorial fund of £IO,OOO, to devote to the welfare of the dependents of all ranks who fell in the war. It is anticipated that regular distributions from its fund will take place over a period of not less than six years, and not longer than 10 years. That is one practical form of honouring the dead. There are many others, none of which are of the “ cold stone variety. The Corps of the Royal -Engineers will use its memorial fund to provide homes for disabled sappers and their families. An amount of £7OOO has been set aside to enlarge the roll of honour of the Royal Engineers deposited in St. Paul’s Cathedral. Two more practical and sane ideas. “ Old Fogie ” is of the considered opinion that we have a sufficiency of “ cold stone ” and that the wise course to follow now, in the matter of war memorials, is along the road of usefulness. . Let us be in the position to say, at the unveiling ceremonies, “ this memorial will do much good because it will give practical service to living ex-servicemen and exservicewomen.” Let it not be a case of “Row good and stately it looks,” but how much good it will do in a truly practical way. Memorials, yes, “cold stone,” No! That ex-servicemen, as organisations and as individuals, are taking such little interest in this important question, is a matter of concern and regret.