DAY OF MEMORIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 April 1939, Page 5

DAY OF MEMORIES

WHAT IT SIGNIFIES THE DUTIES OF CITIZENSHIP. | — ADDRESS BY REV. J. DAVIE. At Knox Church yesterday morning, | the Rev John Davie gave an impres-l sive address dealing with the present! situation in Europe, the duties of citi-l zenship, and what Anzac signifies.! which was listened to with close attention. "The warlike preparations in Europe make Anzac and all its signifies a very real observance,” said Mr Davie. It is incredible that before those who fought and suffered in the last war have died, within the memory of most adult citizens who had in some measure to share the awful experiences of those never-to-be-forgotten days of darkness, distress and suffering, and in face of the fact that most people have some appreciation of the terrible effectiveness of every modern form of killing and worse, of maiming mankind, the nations of Europe are moving with express haste to plunge the world in a worse conflagration than that of 1914. It is unspeakably tragic that in this year of Grace it is 'impossible for nations to meet and settle differences without the appeal to war. We know that, should war eventuate, no matter who wins, there must be misery and poverty and devastation for all. Not only in the physical sphere, but even more so in the moral and spiritual spheres. We are thankful that there are statesmen who have made continued efforts to settle matters under dispute by conference. These have failed; our prayer is that the Supreme Ruler may yet have mercy upon us and save us. DUTIES OF CITIZENSHIP. “It looks, on the face of it, as if there is but one thing to do. to prepare ourselves sufficiently to remove the temptation to aggressive powers of unprovoked attack. The Government are seized with this necessity, and are calling for volunteers to produce a defence army. This raises the question of the duties of citizenship. Without entering upon the question of the duty to war, we can observe that, if those in authority who have all the facts at their disposal, and further, who are against war in principle, say defence preparations Are necessary, then the logical conclusion of that is that service for .defence should be compulsory and universal. It is most unjust and unreasonable to ask or expect that a few conscientious citizens should bear the brunt of national defence. This is a national affair, and, like other national movements, it should be borne upon the shoulders of all. Unfortunately, there is a type of young man who takes everything and gives nothing, who is prepared to let the other fellow do all the work and suffer all the disabilities of service, while he takes all the pleasures, enjoys all the protection, and pays none of the costs. It is this very type who need, for physical and moral reasons, the discipline which military training gives. There is a slackness and spinelessness creeping into our national character which should fill us all with distress and consternation. In many ways we are not building a nation of fit, selfreliant, adventurous, conscientious citizens, but a nation of I'eaners. The hollow-chested, cigarette-smoking, hair-permanently-waved dandies that parade our streets or carry off half-doped girls in cars, are scarcely the type of men who should be exempt from military service, and in case of war be left behind to be the fathers of the race. DISCIPLINE NECESSARY. “The experiences of the last war have clarified our vision, and we all know, even if we have not the inclination to be logical in the presence of that knowledge, that only a disciplined nation can expect to survive. It is part of the racial characteristics of our nation to discipline ourselves only where we ‘must,’ and that 'must’ is always long after when we ‘should.’ During the last war, because all were undisciplined, months of time were lost, huge quantities of war material were wasted, and numberless lives sacrificed. In the totalitarian states, the whole nation is under compulsory discipline. In democratic states, where there is little compulsion, there must be self-discip-line. But we must not lose sight of the memorial aspect of this service. When we turn our memories and imaginations back, it is the consciousness of a deep silence that possesses us. These silent heroes and evangelists of peace! Let our minds dwell upon them; the exercise wil sober us and hush the clashing sound that robs us of the power to think clearly, and clear the mists which obscure our vision. They perished without recognition and without honour, their only reward being the pain and anguish of death. So died the Master Jesus, and so the martyrs. Many -ought and died in an effort to save the world. They might not, probably did not, have this in their minds as they slushed through the mud, lay down in •water-sogged dug-outs and ate their day’s rations. Millions of them would never have been heard of even if there had been no war, but, dying as they did. they gained a glory and renown greater than which the world cannot give, and the only honour we can confer upon them is to respect and work for the cause for which they gave their lives. We can consecrate our days to the great cause of human well-being. THE TASK NOT COMPLETE. “The task is not complete—if the signs of the times mean anything, it has scarcely .begun. But God and these dead call’ us to the colours of that army in which all good men and women enlist for the advancement of human betterment, the extension of the Kingdom of God. These heroes whom we honour today died for duty, for liberty, for the peace of the world. Their dead hands stretch out to us in warning. ‘We died,’ they say, ‘and others live; but take heed that the lives of others shall not be squandered in useless sacrifice, that the youth and hope of today, and the lives of children yet unborn, shall not be offered up on the altar of fear, ambition, greed and senseless passion.’ “We are dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow. Loved and were loved, and now we lie in Flanders fields. To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow in Flanders fields. “Those Flanders fields no longer display the ravages of war. Nature has not only healed the wound, but obliterated the scar. So God gives man his second chance. It comes each Anzac Day. For a moment we behold the vision splendid. If but our hearts could be persuaded not to let the moments pass! Alas, they do go. The silence ceases, the wheels of confusion

and striving begin again to turn. Yet may we not hope that these memorial seasons will help us to preserve these feelings of pity and compassion? Surely all the sacrifice cannot be in vain; surely the day of reason shall dawn; surely the folly, futility and bestiality of war will be seen to be what they are; surely the time has come when all this wasted energy which we expend on building up implements of destruction shall be turned into channels for the conquest of poverty and destitution, to the progress of health, the understanding of the causes of diseases and the destruction of them, to the education of mind and heart so that at long last the whole family of man shall enter that realm of happiness for which a good Creator made Him."