Great Britain

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 82, 5 August 1915, Page 5

Great Britain

ANNIVERSARY DAY.

SERVICE AT ST. PAUL’S.

A TOUCHING SCENE.

SIMPLICITY AS THE KEYNOTE

United Press Association i. (Received;,B.sU a.m.) ... • ; London, August -I

The keynote of the patriotic service was simplicity. There was no procession The King walked from the north door between the Bishop and the Dean to a seat in the centre transept. Queen Mary and Queen Alexandra, and the Princesses followed, and then came the rest of the clergy. The congregation included the Grand Duke Michael, the Duchess of Fife, Duchess of Albany, Lord Kitchener, numerous Generals and officers in khaki, Ministers of the Crown, High Commissioners, Agents-General. and Sir U. Borden.

M<;st of the ladies wore dark dresses, and it was a touching sight to see the numerous wounded, some being in blue hospital suits , and others in khaki, while most of them had their head, arms, or legs bandaged, and numerous nurses acre in attendance.

At the Cathedral thousands were turned away, a queue having been formed early in the morning.

The Archbishop of Canterbury took as his text Corinthians xvi. 13: “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men. be strong.”

“To the men and women of the Empire,” he said, “has come the trust of bearing part of a conflict of an absolutely gigantic scale. Every month adds proof that we judged right a year ago, when, after exhausting every effort that we could honorably make to avert a conflict, we unsheathed the sword in a cause which we can, with a clear conscience, commend to God. It remains for us to put into the furtherance of right every ounce of strength, and. what is harder, all the porservance that we can muster, to sustain the world's well-being. In the centuries the unborn may turn upon our fight and use this moipentous decisive hour.” He exhorted the Nation-to hold and use what manhood stands for; at the same time the women of the Empire are contributing a service winch manhood cannot rival. His G race continued: We acclaim with grateful confidence and high hope the buoyant gallantry of those whom we should have called quite ordinary nnin. men who passed straight from the prosaic paths ot the common life to lie men with dauntless courage on the Aegean precipice or the shellswept trench, offering their lives with simplicity, even gladness, lor their country’s cause. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for Ins friends.” A

vear lias gone since we set our bauds to this fearful task. We have learned ranch, and given of our very best and bravest, and before God we believe it is worth while.

IMPRESSIVE SERVICES IN INDIA

(United Press Association. (Received 9.20 a.m.') , Simla, August -I. Impressive, anniversary services were held throughout India, invoking the aid of the Gods to prosper the efforts of our forces. Many meetings . were organised, the Indians recording their inflexible resolve to continue the struggle to a victorious end.

COUNTRY’S CLAIM ON US ALL.

OVATIONS BY THE CROWD.

(Received 9.5 a.m.)

London, August 4

His Grace the Archbishop, continuing, said: AVe now realise better than we did last August our country’s claim on ns alj. Please 'God. no man or woman here is going to leave it unanswered or unfulfilled. Enormous crowds ovationed the King and .Royalties on leaving the Cathedral, and cheered the wounded in motors, especially the Australians, New Zealanders, and Canadians.

CONTINUOUS PRAYER. (Received 9.30 a.m.) i London, August L There were services in hundreds of places of worship, there being a continuous timetable of prayers in many churches for the entile day. Public meetings were held in the afternoon and evening. Though the Royal drive to St. Paul’s was without pageantry, enormous crowds tilled the streets, many wounded soldiers and sailors being present at the King’s request.