SATURDAY WIGHT'S CELEBRATION.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 5 November 1918, Page 2

SATURDAY WIGHT'S CELEBRATION.

Despite the almost continuous rain there was a large assembly of residents t> ?v^ ay<)r ' 8 ' nv i'ation opposite the Post Office on Saturday night to celebrate thjo defeat of Turkey and a great dea. lot 'interest was taken in the proceedings.

The Mayor recounted the main terms of the Turkisli capitulation as conveyed in the official telegrams. General Townshend's .mission i;o Mudros to ask for an armistice read like a romantiic taTe and took us back to 1916 when that general was forced by sickness, famine and a too numerous foe to surrender with all his men. We hadi waited a long it'me in patience and confidence for this day, and that was the spirit in which we would wait for the final victory that was now in view (Appfaus*). The present celcbral'iions had particular wignincance for New Zealand, and Australia because the Turks were the especial adversaries of our boys. It was -needless to recount the gallant deeds of the Anzacs on the Peninsula.' J); was there that our boys proved their mettle and they had come up to that standard since m Palestine and- France. (Applause). We could well be proud of them. (Applause). He knew, the thought that dwelt in rihe mind most was. that this momentous victory brought distinctly nearer the time , wihen we should have -Wieiri back with us once more (Hear, hear). IDuiing four long vears the people had repressed their feelings and it was now very herd to expresi' the thoughts tKa); came, but from now on we would be able to speak l with > greater freedom. The news that evening wa6 very goodi and showed •ffia.t ' Austria's day "was fast approaching. (Applause). And Germany was on the point of begging for terms (Cheers). One was almost tempted to prophesy that it would be a Ghrtxtmais of peace. "Conscious of his «wn shortcomings ho did not often mention from the public platform the name of the Supreme Being, but he felt that the occasion waa not one alone for joy and exultation, but for very sert'ous. thoughts besides, and he had no dioubt whatever that on the morrow, when hearts and minds were attuned to solemn and sincere things, thanksgiving would be rendered to the Almighty under Whose guidance 'jjhis great victory had been made i- ible to our soldiers (Hear, hear).. I Mr T. G. Vincent saidr that while not one of those who had fought so g&L liantly for Gaillipoli, lie was Btill glad as "" a returned , soldier to fcaiEe part in the celebration. He recalled the fact that Turkey had been kept an independent "power _ for a hundred yearn by BritSSn (A voice: More shame to her). When , ilie 'Russians were at gate of Stamboul ' Disraeli Shadeent the Allied, fleet thro- ; ugh the DardaneJles andi the Bear hoi sneaked back to his Northern home. J4bw the Fleet had through itihe Straits oh a very different errand (Applause). We should always remember , what the Fleet had done for the Army by keeping the seas free and Ithis country especially owed' a great deal to the ■ Navy (Hear,, hear), We should nerer forget either the unfaltering courage of ! the French nation - in jtibe dark diayfe of the war (Applause). We ' had been taught to lookupon the French soldier t as incomparable in; the moment ofvdotory, but now; -we kpew.that he- did not : fail in the time of adversity.; jMrVin;-- , cent paid a tribute to the " sacrifices made bjr France and: be mentioned in illustration that while in the city of Amiens, a place of about 100,000 people he did not see ten women who .were not dressed: in black. ' Great as haid been Britain's sacrifices those of IFVance had been heavier still. He concluded ' by a reference to the returned ikjWdiens, who, he said, did' no|t want sympathy but the realisation on the paft'of the people of this country that Ihert* man who came back from he war wiitf not, tffie unrrx* mflnjutbo-went-away, that Jus, experiences had ajfered hu> outlook and that he might not therefore • drop 'immediately into his old accustomed ways. \ • The Rov. J. H. Hai4am wets'the last speaker. He said we were Bold years ago that thfs was to be a war of attrition a.nd the sudden change of fortune was only understandable iHienthpt fact •was realised. Mr Haslam gave as an illustration a river-gradually wearing down its banks, until at found' the point of weakness and, then butlstirng and covering the surrounding country. .Only by .some such simile oould tne ' !>sndden collapse of Germany's all-seem-ing power be> explained! Now we 411 • rejoiced that_the proepecte were nerrer 1 brighter. _ The safety of the. world's democracies' and the sacrednees of busman life wea-e being safeguarded by- -; - the defea|t of Germany. Speaking ,as one whose; privilege .it was to be a Ohris- . tiaa minister, he urged that even fc» 'the -moment of vi6'x>ry we should exercise some restraint. Just punishment there must be for those who had given ,t« the world such an exKlbition of cruelty and atrocity as had disera- •• ced no savage nation m the past. -Sui» ' let us do nothing l filult we would .be La'slianied of in years. •: ■ * ) Led. by the Mayor hearty rounds; of cheers were giiren .tor the bove at the " ,nxmt, and-Uhe singing of "Rule Bri- " tanma' and the watfomal AnUiem * brought Levin's celebration to. a dk*e. ;