LORD KITCHENER.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 June 1916, Page 4

LORD KITCHENER.

MEMORIAL SERVICE AT TREXTHAM. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. An impressive service was held at Trentham Camp this morning in memory of Lord Kitchener. The Governor and Lady Liverpool were present, also Generals Robin and Henderson and staff, Hon. Colonel A. M. Myers, and the Mayor and Mrs. Luke, with a sprinkling of the general public. The troops formed three sides of the square, the officialvisitors and public making up the fourth. Chaplain-Colonel Tracey conducted the service. Bishop Sprott preaching' the sermon. The Trentham Camp Band accompanied the hymns, including "Now the laborer's task is o'er." The service concluded with Chopin's Funeral March and the National Anthem, Bandmaster Fox sounding the last post. There'were special services to-night at St. Paul's Cathedral, the Governor and Cabinet Ministers attending in semistate, and also returned soldiers. SERVICE AT SEW PLYMOUTH. AT ST. MARY'S CHURCH. A most impressive service was conducted at St. Mary's Church last evening, there being a congregation of about one thousand. Rev. A. H. Colvile took for his text, Jeremiah, chap. 41), verse 23, "There is sorrow on the sea," and delivered a powerful sermon. The sea had been, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the chief means of development of the British nation, who, perhaps, found it difficult' to understand why there was running all through the Bible a horror of the sea; but it must he borne in mind that the two strongest antipathies of the Jews were the sea and the desert. Even for our nation there was sorrow on the sea. It had been brought home to us over and over again. Within the past few days we have been thrilled by the messages of a great battle fought on the sea, and there was sorrow on the sea to-day. But where there was sorrow there was also the Holy Ghost, the Comfortei. The heart of the nation had been again smitten by the sorrow Jof the sea. We had lost a great man from the councils of the nation, a 'strong man, whom in these doubtful days of up and downs, of hopes and fears, of successes and disappointments, we could little' afford to spare. Perhaps more than for his wonderful powers of organisation we should feel the loss of his influence, which had a constant steadying and reassuring effect upon the minds of men, an influence that we needed and should need increasingly as the days went on. A strong, quiet, imperturbable man, who carried on his work', caring little for criticism, was an asset to atry nation. Kitchener won the confidence of the democracy because he was not a democrat. The people believed in him because he didn't care what the people thought of Mm. There was one sense in which he was a great democrnt, for if he found a man idle or useless, he gave him short shrift, the passport to his favor being not influence, but energy and efficiency. The nation needed more of such leaders. But whije we mourned his loss, we might think of liim as we do of other great Englishmen, whose names were writ large on the pages of our history. "They pass, but do not die." Though his body lies buried in a mighty sepulchre, the man, whose great work for the nation here on earth is over, still lives, That strong personality endures for ever. Surely his heart is still with England, as his' soul is now with God. There was a bond that unites all men that go down to the sea in ships. It is a bond of mutual help. Jfo signal of distress may be neglected. It was the honor of the sea that help must always be given, promptly, eagerly and fearlessly, and so should we who are members of the Church join together in the rescue of those who were flying signals of distress in life. "There is always sorrow on the sea," but when men joined hands even the wildest waves lose their terrom and we are nearer the haven of God's love, where we fain would be. At the oonqlusion of the *ervice the

National Anthem was sun;,' and the Dead March in Saul was played by the organist. AT WHITELEY CHURCH. There was a large congregation at Whitclcy Church yesterday morning. Several of the front seats were occupied by members of the Defence Rifle Club, High School Cadets, and Town Senior. Cadets. The service was conducted by Rev. C. H. Olds, 8.A., who made feelinjf reference to the passing of Lord Kitchener. The preacher said that the dead hero was a man of great mind, of boundless energy, of iron will, and unswervingly devoted to the Empire, In the providence of Rod he had been raised up to guide our Empire in her hour of need, and in the providence of God he had been taken from us. Cut God remained with us, and in His hands are the destinies of men and nations. While we mourned the loss of a great hero and a wise leader, we could still take up the old Hebrew battle-cry, "The Lord of Hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge." J A verse of the national anthem was then followed by a prayer appropriate; to the occasion.

AT ST. ANDREWS. ' The memorial, service in St. Andrew's Church yesterday morning was largely attended. There was a fair muster of the Band, Territorials, Cadets, and Veterans. The preacher was Mr. R. H, Rocket, and in taking for his text, "God is our refuge and strength; a very present help in trouble" (Ist verse ;Psalm 40), outlined the fall of the Israelites, a most' favored nation, through the Unheeding of the warnings given them. The teachings of the Old Testament were sometimes regarded as obsolete, but he was sure that the lessons therein contained would be beneficial in the titanic struggle now going on, and especially so in connection with onr great loss. There was the individuality of a nation as well as individuality of persons, and each had its own destiny to work out and was dependent upon God. Britishers stood for (1) freedom, politically and religiously, and (2) for enterprise. Scripture says. "The Kingdom that will not serve Thee will perish." History ptoved this: Assyria, Israel. Greece and Rome had perished because they hud not served God and had not worked put their destinies. Coming to'their own nation, 'had not their blunders taught them their lessons? What of our American colonies' Had the British nation listened to the warnings of Edmund Rurke we might still have had America, Had they listened to the warnings of John Bright, Robert Peel, the Earl of Shaftesbury? It is nearly two years since we had commenced the present great struggle, and what a dreadful toll. Admiral Beatty had said the nation was not yet ready for victory. They had not given up their pleasure. They had met to do honor to the memory of a great hero. Truly they had lost one they could least spare," but God himself had said that he had strange ways of dealing with men.. Was it not a strange thing that a mirle (if it was such) should have struck that particular ship with that particular life aboard? It was strange and more than tragic. For the moment the blow had paralysed us, but as Britishers we had remembered that "God is 'our refuge," The life of Lord Kitchener ought to be known to everyone. It was an inspiration to every young man. His was an uncompromising attention to duty. It was ever duty and country first and Kitchener last with him. Kitchener was regarded as a stem man; war made men stern, but he saw tilings in true perspective, and he penetrated beneath things, and such men are naturally serious. It appeared he was unsentimental, and, the speaker thought, at times lonely. He had lived a life for his country and. for it had spent his best. To-day they mourned a national hero, anil whilst they mourned let them not be paralysed, but let it brace them up: In a sense let Kitchener by his death do more than in life. Lord Kitchener had died in the performance of a duty lor his country and for u--, and I'.ritnin will remember him a'ong with' lVake, Wolfe, Pitt, and Nelson." "Ho lives in A tomb, coffined by a llritisli nmn-of-•war« Let him lie till the sea give up its dead."

During tlie service the Dead March in Saul was played, ami tin- Russian mul oil!- National Anthems sung. Kn route to tin- church the Citizen*' Band played 'i.ot Me Like a Soldier Fall" and "Tlie Vacant Chair."