ANZAC DAY

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 123, 28 April 1925, Page 9

ANZAC DAY

FEILDING CELEBRATIONS. (From Our Own Corr««pondent.) The weather was beautifully lino for the Anzac Day services. A largo crowd assembeld in tlie Squure to view the parade of returned men who mustered in strong force, the largest since peaco day. Preceded by the Salvation Army Band, they marched to St. John’s Church where divine service was hold. The curate, Rev. J. Adams, road the lesson and Rev. F. 11. Petrie, M.A., preached the sermon. This was taken from Psalm 143, sth verse, 1 remember the days of old,” and l*salm 112, verse 6, “The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.” “As tile years roll by,” said the preacher, “our memories become more and more dim with so much more to occupy our minds. It is not good to be always living in the past, but at the sumo time there is danger in forgetfulness of the fulfilment of duties we should undertake, and which fall upon us. This yearly commemoration of Anzac Day holds very sacred memories for some of us, when our minds go back for the past ten years to the day the British, Australian and Now Zealand troops landed on the shores of Gallipoli. IVe think, too, of the cause for which our boys fought —the cause of righteousness tor the world. —That noble quality was characteristic of the New Zealand forces during the war. We remember, too, at this time the self-sacrifice displayed by our boys at the front. Again, wo cauont say too much in praise of the nurses who went to the war and with their sister nurses on the other side did such wonderful work. “Our boys at the front came closer to God during thut time as is seen when one officer writing home, said: T could not stick it out here if 1 did not feel that God is with me.’ The soldiers learnt that there was but ono tiling that mattered and that was God. Kc became more real to them in moments of danger, more real than he had ever become before, and many a soldier went ‘over tho top’ with a prayer on his lips when a moment before ho had been seeking at the mere thought ot prayer. Prayer became a force which strengthened and guided, and even those at home prayed during the war as they had never prayed before. But, I ask you, have wo kept it up? Do we still pray as earnestly as we did then, or have we become slack? “Ono other lesson learned during tho war was that of tho brotherhood of men. There was wonderful brotherhood at the front. Men of all castes and stations in life lived together, spoko together, and worked together, the noblemen’s sons mixed with the labourers’ sons. But now that the war is over, does the spirit ot brotherhood still exist among us? The spirit that drew men together to light tor a common cause against a common foe. “Now tho Church stands for this bond of brotiierliness and yet such a great many people hold aloof and will not join in with this spirit-, and I tell you that you are making a great mistake. It is the hope of the world and yet you will not co. operate with it. So if wo can have again that spirit of brotherliness with us that was so noticeable among our men during the war, we will know that anything they did for us was not in vain.” In the afternoon, a large crowd assembled at the memorial for the combined service, conducted by the Ministers’ Association. Included in tho audience were a very large number of returned men and their families. The base of tho memorial was full of beautiful wreaths, most of which had been made by loving hands and “in Remembrance.” Tho order of service was as follows, the singing being led by the Salvation Army:—Baud, hymn, “O God, Our Help” ; prayer, Rev. C. D. Gardiner; Scripture reading, Rev. J. Adams; prayer, Rev. T. Miller, M.A.; address, Rev. A. Mitchell; hymn, “Forever With the Lord”; Benediction; National Anthem. Tho band played tho “Garland of Flowers” with great expression. llov. Mr Mitchell, who was a padro on Gallipoli, gave a short, but powerful address in tho course of which ho said the greater the nation tho grander tho morals and in this connection ho dwelt upon the position of tho Empire in the world.. Where wero the great military nations of tho world to-day? They did not endure. Where were the nations of Rome, Greece, Persia, Babylon and many others ? Did any ot' these great military nations have any voice in military matters to-day ? They had disappeared. It had been well said that “when a nation builds on force, it bites the dust.” Ho was not there to-day to glorify war, far from it, but to recall that spirit of heroism and fidelity that was included in the name of “Anzac,” tlie enduring fundamentals of which were faith, honour und endurance. It was

“righteousness alone which exalteth a nation” and ho trusted that the good work done by the last Washington Conference would bear fruit and another would soon bo called which would bring in a new era for humanity. The speaker had heard with great distress that the condition of many ex-service men could not bo worso even if we hud lost the war. It was their bounden duty to help in every way possible the men who had been broken in the fiery furnace of the war, these men were their trust. In this country many men had gone on the land mid it was their duty to eeo that they were helped while the policy of reconstruction was going on. THE SPIRIT OF ANZAC. The speaker said tho spirit of Anzac was still abroad. Moore-Jones had rushed into a burning building in Hamilton to save lives and lost his own. A collier in New South Wales had gone down with every rescue party into a mine and as a result of his last trip had been injured for life. There were many other instances which compared with the best deeds on tho battlefields. GATHERING AT TOKOMARU. (From Our Own Corraaoondant.) On Saturday at 9.30 a.m. in commemoration of Anzac Day, the children and several adults, including the chairman of the School Committee, gathered at the school. Under the direction of the headainster, Air Hickson, the National Anthem was sung, and then Rev. Farnell, who had journeyed from Shannon for the occasion, addressed the gathering, explaining the meaning of tho word “Anzac,” and laying stress on tho necessity of tho children upholding tho traditions of the glorious dead, and carrying on their work botli in their school file, and in their wider sphere of work later on. Mr Hickson, on behalf of the children, thanked Mr Farnell for his address, and voiced his regret that, owing to tho long vacation, and having so recently commenced, school again, they had been unable to prepare a more impressive ceremony. The children, whose at* tention to the speakers gave evidence that they realised the solemnity of the occasion, next saluted the tlag with all duo respect and the gathering then dispersed.