The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 1919. PEACE CELEBRATIONS.

Taihape Daily Times, 26 March 1919, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 1919. PEACE CELEBRATIONS.

(With which is Incorporated The Tuihape Pout and Walmnnno News).

Taihape people, in common with the people of every other borough and town in New Zealand, in fact, every town and village in the whole British Empire; of every city and hamlet in the United States of America, of France, of Italy, as well as of all the peoples of the smaller nations comprising the noble and gloriously successful defence of civilisation, of industry, home and art against the destroying ravages of Prussian militarism, are asked to celebrate that greatest of all victories and the establishment of peace on a given day in accordance with their own ideas of fitness, so that the people of the whole world may rejoice together, for even Germany must rejoice in the fact that they are once more ijvce to pursue the arts of peace and by their industry l stamp out the famine that cur humane j British solfdiers refuse to look upon. I The lack of attendance at the initial | peace celebration meeting called by the Mayor causes one to wonder ! whether there is in Taihape anything | like a general conception of the greatj n css of the occasion, such as would j cause them to jubilate of thoi;- own ) w iH ;and volition. For Taihape to ! take its place in peace celebrations I three things arc indispensable. The | first is, of course, money; the next is | organising talent; and the third is the 1 will and desire to show joy and grai titudo that peace can cnee more prevail. Men of moans havp generously provided money for Red Cross wogk, for works of mercy, while the slaughter was proceeding; many people and , s voluntarily taxed themselves and | contributed monthly throughout the | war, and it is scarcely believable that ' to a man. they will not aiv.'

contribution that the most gloiioas consummation any could have wished for has been attained. Our soldiers fought for the peace avc desired, and they have won for us more, much more, than avc expected, and we want to publicly demonstrate our joy at their wonderful achievement; but money is required. We can only appeal to the men avlio arc able to pro\ T ide that money, and their generosity of the

past four and a half years fills ns to overflowing with confidence that the appeal to them in the final act in the great, the unparalleled, world drama, will by no means and in no way be in vain. The Taihape Peace celebration is not merely a local affair; it is part of a peace .celebration scheme embracing the whole of the British Empire. The Committee modestly ask for about £500; this is much less than is being asked for in other towns; but as the Government give some small subsidy it will probably furnish all that is required. The bulk of whatever money is raised is to be utilised for impressing our children’s memories with the narrowness of civilisation J s escape from destruction and we arc sure that a generous people will readily send in the money for that purpose alone. We may take it for granted

the money is available. Then ■ organisers and organisation arc the next essentials, and it is a pertinent question to ask orgaisers appointed whether they realise that they have only a few weeks in which to 'do that which should require some months if it is to be even partially befitting the occasion. Organisers ai'C going to experience an uphill Herculean task if the spirit of the people they are to organise is dead,, and. cannot be ,resurrected lo a sense of what great world history they arc passing through. To be the success peace celebrations undoubtedly should be there must be hearty cooperation. People must display nothing short of perfect abandon to *so great an occasion. Unfortunately, many small-soullcd people may think their i tiupot, miserable business of moneygetting is sufficient excuse for doing nothing towards answering the Empire’s call to bcfittiugly observe the j rescue of the world’s civilisation from i destruction. Our boys gave their lives ungrudgingly; they gave iheir {limbs and their health; they sufferec • years of hardships that we canuor understand, are we thankful this is ar an end, and does our thanfulness go j to the depth of mere sacrifice of the 1 time wc require to demonstrate our elation at the cessation of the bloody struggle they have been involved in. Such a peace as our boys, who arc now' coming back to us, with those wno will never return, have won for us, is surely something for the whole world \fO be thankful for and to jubilate over. Then let every man and woman, ■whatever their vocation, respond to the {labours of the men and women who

have the organisation of our peace celebration in hand. The time is air too short to adequately and befitting! y demonstrate our joy, thankfulness and gratitude, hut by unites, genuine, whole-soullcd display of the spirit that we should at this moment be filled with, Taihape can leave an honourable record on the scroll os future history. It may be mentioned that the chief outward and visible signs of joy have, since history commenced; been staging, music, and dancing. The town's aim should be to sing as it never sang before, and to produce music on t plane more lofty than ever hefore, uid with that object in view we think fdie Music Committee, if on 3 was appointed, sho.i « address a written personal appeal to every known vocalist and instrumentalist: in the town inviting them to combine so that this community may not figure ignobly among smaller communities who already have in rehearsal such works as the “ Hallelujah Chorus. ” We are asked to celebrate the greatest occasion in the history of I the world, and even with the utmost 1 wo are capable of doing we shall fall far short of what is befitting. But if everyone docs his and her best l.oa.rtily, spiritedly, and ungrudgingly this town will have nothing to regret when the Peace Celebration Season is past and gone.