EMPIRE IN MOURNING.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 41, 17 February 1913, Page 5

EMPIRE IN MOURNING.

j PROPOSED MEMORIALS. i MESSAGES FROM THE KING. { (By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (United Press Association.) London, February 15. I The King, in a message to Captain : Scott’s mother, states that ho knew j her son intimately, and mourned his j death as a friend as well as a dis- ( tinguished naval officer. I The Geographical Society has received tho Commonwealth Parliament’s and Westralia’s condolences. PROVIDING FOR DEPENDENTS. London, February 15. Nearly £30,000 is required to meet the outstanding liabilities of the expedition and to relieve Captain Sco.t’s estate. Captain Scott largely pledged Ids own and his wife’s fortune to carry out tho expedition. Lord Curzon, writing to the press, states that ho has the highest authority for stating that the Government will make provision for the dependents from national funds. SOME SUGGESTIONS. Tho Geographical Society voted £IOOO to the memorial fund, and the Gaekwar of Baroda £2OO. Lord Curzon suggests tho erection of a Scott memorial on half, of tho Geographical Society’s site facing Hyde Park. Sir Joseph Ward suggests a naval scholarship in memory of Captain Scott, all sons of the Empire to be eligible to compete. AMUNDSEN’S PREMONITION, Tho Times correspondent states that Captain Amundsen in September expressed his fears for Captain Scott’s safety, but refrained from publishing this for fear of causing anxiety to the relatives. UNFOUNDED RUMOURS DENIED ' In denying New Zealand and Australian reports, Scott’s mother, who is aged 85, and his relatives declare that they are satisfied that every possible effort was made to assist the southern party. MEMORIAL SERVICES. Auckland, February 16. Memorial services in connection with Captain Scott’s expedition were held in all tho churches to-day. Dunedin, February IG. The Dunedin branch of'the Oversea;; Club held a memorial service for Captain Scott and his comrades, to-day, in the Octagon Hall, which was crowded to the doors. The local M.P.’s. the Mayor and City Councillors, and representatives of all churches were present. Tho speakers were the Revs. IV. Gray-Dixon, and W. Slade, both of whom referred feelingly to tho noble work of tho explorers. The service was opened with Chopin’s Funeral March and closed with the Dead March In Saul, played by tho Kaikorai Band. Marton, February 17. Tho Town Hall was packed last night when a memorial service to Captain Scott and his comrades was held under the auspices of the Rangitikoi Branch of the Overseas Club. All tho local clergy delivered inspiring addresses. (Received 10.15 a.m.) Sydney, February 16. In most of the churches, references were made to Scott and his comrades. The services were of an appropriate character, special music being given. (Received 9.15 a.m. London, February 16. Many special services and reference; from hundreds of pulpits were made concerning the Seott disaster. Wellington, February 17. Tho Methodist Church conducted a memorial service at the Town Hall last night, the building being well filled. The Rev. Mr Lawrie presided, and the Rev. Mr Fairclough, of Dunedin, preached. A collection in aid of the Scott funds was taken up. The Dead March in Saul was played at the conclusion.

PROFESSOR DAVID’S VIEWS. (Received 9.10 a.m.) Sydney, February 17. Professor David accepts as unquestionable Commander Evans’s explanation that Dr. Atkinson concluded, after examining the bodies of Scott, Powers, ..and Wilson, that there were no traces of scurvy, but Professor David still believes that the failure of Edgar Evans was in all probability due to scurvy. Referring to rumours of the fate of the Southern party being sealed through having to drag Edgar Evans through hundreds of miles on a sledge, Professor David points out that these are obviously untrue, since Scott stated that in spite of the failing of the strength of Evans, good marches were made up to eighteen miles per day. If the party were compelled to drag a heavy man in a sledge, progress would have been more like three or four miles a day. Moreover, tlit' fact that Wilson and Powers were able to spend some little time at the head of Heard more ("Racier collecting specimens proves that the party at that time could not possibly have been in such extreme exhaustion as would certainly have resulted if they had been compelled to drag Evans for a hundred miles. There was no doubt whatever that every word of Scott’s diary describing the fate of Evans was absolutely true. Professor David agrees with Nansen’s suggestion that Scott’s sickness war. of the nature of scurvy, and it

was by no means improbable that although none of tho. three showed cases of scurvy at the time of their death, j they might have had mild attacks which helped to weaken them. Jt I must be remembered lie can get over scurvy provided he gets a change ol food. As each fresh depot was reachI ed, the party obtained fresh supplies, j and Rrofessor David believes that | some of the depots on the great ice barrier contained fresh meat which was | not available ou tho Beardmorc Glacier or high plateaus. Referring to the relief work, Professor David declares that it is (untrue and .most unfair to suggest that the few men available for the relief party in any way neglected their duty on the journey. Garrard was out on the Barrier in face of a severe blizzard, doing 150 miles with very low temperatures, which was a splendid piece of work. “OUR HEROES.” TRIBUTES PASSED TO THE MEMORY OF BRAVE MEN. PULPIT REFERENCES. Tho story of the conquest of the South Pole, that tale of tragedy which followed victory, has not been read by Stratford readers unmoved. Gallops as many may become, no voice could repeat Scott’s last message without faltering: “We are weak, and writing is difficult, hut for my own sake I do not regret this journey, which has shown that Englishmen can endure hardships, help one another, and meet death with as great a fortitude as in the past. Wo took risks, and wo knew we took them. Things have come out against us, and, therefore, we have no cause for complaining, but how to the will of Providence, determined still to do our host to the last.” It was only fitting that the Churches should make reference to the glorious deeds of “our heroes,” and from every pulpit in tho district, yesterday, tho tale of the South was told. MEMORIAL SERVICE. In tho afternoon a special memorial service was held in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford; tho congregation was large, and the service impressive. Tho Rev. Butler took as his text. Ps. 90, v. 9: ‘‘We bring our years to an end as it were a tale that is told.” So it was, he said, that wo spoke of the active life of many men and women—as a tale that was told. The tale is told, the end is written, all is done, nothing remains to be said. But was that to ho all ? God forbid! At least there was the influence of the tale, not to speak of the memory of it. “And to-day,” the Vicar went on to say, ‘‘wo listen once again to a noble tale, writ in heroism, courage, endurance, and self-denial: a real living story of that manly God-fearing determination and grit, which has to he added to the long list of magnificent deeds, which, under the hand of God, have done so much towards making the British Empire. great as it is. Though not first, the flag of our Empire is planted at the Pqle, the flag which tells of pilgrimage' and battle, of adventure and discovery, of culture and commerce—that little National ensign fluttering at the mizzen peak of every British vessel that courses tliO seas, the royal banner of our kings, that proudly -as of old floats above tne noblest throne in the Christian world —what scenes it brings to mind! It tells of tho perilous patriotic wanderings of Drake and Frobisher and Raleigh; tho glorious fights for freedom, when tho Armada was scattered, and when Nelson fell at Trafalgar in tho hour of victory; the stern and sanguinary battle through that long-drawn summer’s day on tho field of Waterloo. Or shall we turn to times of peace with her victories ‘no less renowned than war’—unforgetablo incidents which illumine and adorn the pages of history, such af the mission of Gordon and the travels of Livingstone. The dogged British discipline and courage, the deep-rooted loyalty and heroism of British hearts evidencing itself where, ever in the Providence of God our nation has been called to strive and toil, and wherever our flag lias been allowed to wave. So the Empire’s flag is the Empire’s history, rich in memories of noble men passed away, and of their deeds which shall not pass away. So the colours bear witness to what men of our Empire have done, and to what they will <fo again. And this flag planted at the Polo tells of one more series of those noble deeds which have made the Empire great; it tolls of bravery which, I believe 1 , cannot ho surpassed; it tells of cold calculated effort, the pressingforward with teeth sot in the firm determination to battle against fearful and well-known odds until the goal is readied. The soldier who performs in tho boat of battle some brave deed, may truly ho a hero; hut his is tho courage, of an impulse, the bravo act done under the influence of the excitement of the, moment, perhaps in tho eyes of hundreds cl others. These things make him no less a hero among men. While we stand and admire such courage, what shall we say and what shall wo think of these noble ones, who have none of those helps, and yet for the sake of science, and the greater glory of the Empire, sot forth and nobly per- | severed in their contest with the overwhelming powers of nature? A of our heroes of by-gone centuries, wo need but tho hare name to bring to mind many a noble deed. So. j henceforth, no title will he needed ;o I honour those brave men who now rest : from their labours in the snows of ! the Furthest South. Scott, Bowers. ' Wilson, Oates, Evans—these men 1 need nothing to honour them, for I their very names suffice to convey all. that we could desire to know of the] greatness of their hearts and souls, I

of their perseverance and endurance pressed through to its furthest iin.its. It seems hard that we should lose such men from the world, for we feel that they could teach us many things, but, ,as ‘the works men do live after them,’ we cannot but feel that,- —much as wo might have learned had they lived, —the story of the’.r fortitude gives us an example winch is perhaps still more valuable. Bad they lived we should have deemedj them heroes, but in death, while we still hold that opinion, we come fr.ee to face with virtues, many of wKchj would have been hidden from curl views, had they lived on. No one would have known of the noble ten-, sideration for his comrades of Cap-* tain Oates, and none of them wouM have told as we now know it, how, though death stared him in the fate, the stronger refus cd to leave the weaker.” “The world,” continued the Rev. Butler, “has lost some great men, and what shall we say? Thank God, that He gave them, thank God for; what they have taught us, thank God that they rest from the sorrows and miseries of this world: and one thing more, for those whom they have left j behind to mourn the loss of son, of husband, of father; thank God that for them, for whom our prayers go, forth in sympathy, there is this one' greatest consolation of all, that fer every true servant of God there is the sure and certain hope of the Re-, surrection to Eternal Life, through; Jesus Christ our Lord, and all who; have been united in this serv'ee *’n this life, shall once more be joined together in that perfect and unending! unity of lovo and rest and peace, 1 which is the true blessedness of the Life of the World to come!” ;