ARMISTICE DAY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3716, 12 November 1927, Page 2

ARMISTICE DAY.

RETURNED SOLDIERS’ COMPLAINT.

“Returned Soldier” writes to the Editor as follows:

“Sir. —I was surprised to see that very little notice was taken yesterday morning of the two minutes silence by the people in the Main Street. It may have been different within the shops. As soon as the school bell r*ang the only ones I noticed who took off their hats and stood still were the men working on the new high school building, while opposite me there was a continual hammering of iron going on, and people walking about. No doubt the public would not take much notice of the school bell, and I would suggest that in future the syren should be sounded, as is done in other towns. I think Armistice Day should be made a more sacred day than Anzac Day, because it was on that day that peace was made possible, not by us returned men —although there are thousands who are maimed for life —but by our comrades whom we left, behind, as well as the prayers of the people. I owe my life not to any good luck,, but to the prayers of at least one family of farmers living near my home town. I will also treasure a letter from this family for the rest of my life, as the writer of it had just died before I reached home. To give you one instance: It was up in the line at Ypres, when 1 happened to meet Second Lieut. Wyeth, whom I had not seen for years. He told me it was his first day in the trenches, and after about ten minutes talk, something seemed to tell me that I had better go on and join my company, which had gone further up the trenches. I had no sooner left Lieut. Wyeth when a shell came over and killed him, and I am convinced to this day that it was to the prayers of this family that I owe my life.”

Armistice Day was solemnly observed at the local District High School yesterday. By some oversight no official announcement was made re the observance locally. AT THE BEACH. Armistice Day was celebrated at \AII Saints’ Beach Home in a solemn manner. The Rev. W. H. Walton 'gave a short address to the children after which the usual two minutes silence was observed.