EXAMPLE OF ANZACS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 April 1939, Page 6

EXAMPLE OF ANZACS

EMOTIONAL DAWN PARADE. ADDRESS EY MR T. JORDAN. In his address at yesterday’s Rotary Club luncneon, the Mayor, Mr T. Jordan, said the proposal to hold a Dawn Parade in Wellington apparently had its origin in me Australian Returned Soldiers’ parade held at dawn in Sydney last year, and attended by a large body of their New Zealand comrades. The time was designed to recall the actual time at which the Australians landed: the New Zealanders landed a little later upon another part of the peninsula. The attendance in Wellington was remarlcable, and it was noticeable that a very large number of Women were present. The lime and ptlrpcse of the parade seemed to have a special emotional appeal for them. Tne weather was ideal for the service and the breaking of a beautiful dawn synchronised with Major Shelley’s stirring dedication to Anz.ac. In his address, Mr Jordan said he had aimed at recalling for a moment the splendid physical appearance of the men who took part in the landing so that the younger generation who had not seen them might know what manner of men they' were and why we were so proud of them. When the parade was over the meh were marched back to the cafeteria at the railway station for hot coffee and biscuits. There they' added a touch of old-time humour to the occasion by setting up a small school for war-time recreation.

Today we were faced will) a cause that we believed to be just. . . to defend our heritage of law arid order, the harmonious blending of liberty and authority, 'there was a call for service in some form or other throughout the land, and it was the duty of us all to take an interest in what was taking place aronhd us . . . io take an interest in government in its widest sense, to form our opinions individually, and to give expression to them rather than accept broadcast opinion. He believed that the world just now was in a state of flux, but what would ultimately crystallise out of the flux depended in the main upon our individual contribution to it. If we did our duty in this a very great good would come out cd' our present troubles. (Applause).

In moving a vote of thanks to Mr Jordan, Rotarian E. M. Hodder said that Masterton was very proud to possess a man will) the ability to deliver the Dawn Parade address. When they heard he was going to give the address they' all knew he would worthily represent the community' in Wellington. They. al. least, had no fears or trepidation that, it would be otherwise.