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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Personal Volume

Greatest Estate of Freedom

page 6

Greatest Estate of Freedom.

Mr Myers, who appeared in his uniform as colonel of the New Zealand Motor Reserve, said that the foremost civilised nations of the world were Britain's Allies, and they were fighting for the greatest estate of freedom that the world had ever known. They were the trustees of that State, and they were determined to hand it down to their children and their children's children untarnished and undiminished, (Applause,) They were living in important times, and every man and woman in New Zealand would join with them in honouring the returned soldiers that night. (Applause.) The marvellous unanimity that existed between the Allies was a notable thing. The Allies had practically pledged their word, and their word was sucred—not as amongst their enemies—that they would not conclude a peace until they were all agreed upon the terms of that peace. (Applause.) There would be no inconclusive peace. (Applause.) Germany had wanted to fight, and she was going to get all the fight she wanted, and more. (Applause.) The Allies were going to see the war through to the bitter end, to a conclusive peace, until the nations of the world were able to live in perfect freedom. (Applause.) It was great matter for congratulation that America had decided to throw in her lot with the Allies; and he ventured to say that her doing so had laid the foundation for the future federation of all the English-speaking peoples. (Applause.) And, just as the result of their fighting side by side was that they were going to have closer political federation of the Empire, so also they were going to lay down an Empire economic policy, which would be to trade first with their own kith and kin—(applause)—not finding the money for Germany to fight t them with, but finding it first for their own country and for the Empire to pay the gigantic debt which had accrued, and afterwards to trade with their Allies. (Applause.) It was a matter for regret that the great Empire-builder, Joseph Chamberlain, had not lived to read what they had road only in that day's paper, that the House of Commons had practically endorsed the result of the Paris Conference, which meant that the [unclear: feish] of Free Trade was now to be a thing of the past, and that they recognised the necessity for carrying out not only a joint foreign policy, but also a joint economic policy. In conclusion, he expressed the hope that, thanks to their gallant soldiers, in good time, probably in a very short time, peace would be concluded on the Allies' terms. (Applause.)

The toast was honoured with great enthusiasm.

Giving the toast of the evening—"Our Guests, the Anzaes"—Mr Wilford declared that there was no way in which he or any man could show sufficiently the appreciation in which they held the Anzaes. "They are men who have done brave deeds," he said. "At times their minds must wander back to the fateful landing at Gallipoli, when against almost overwhelming odds they fought such a fight as made the world wonder." In eloquent and stirring words, Mr Wilford pictured that fight, adding that whenever they spoke of the great work and the marvellous deeds of the Anzacs, they must never forget the noble work, the splendid work, of the magnificent 29th Division. It was one of their great regrets that they had no complete record of that struggle, or of the war as a whole. Even on the Western front there were at the beginning no war correspondents, and it had been left to Lord Ernest Hamilton, in his wonderful book, "The First Seven Divisions, to chronicle the great retreats, the retreats which our soldiers now sing of, and use as a marching lilt—

We beat them on the Marne,
We beat them on the Aisne,
We gave them hell at Neuve Chapelle,
And here we are again!

It had been said by Granville Forsescue, remarked Mr Wilford, and he supposed that, next to Masefield's book, his was the finest on Gallipoli, that if the Navy, when it first attacked the Turks at Gallipoli, had been supported by troops, they could have page 7 readily captured the place, as the enemy was unprepared. But when the Anzacs landed the Turks were very fully prepared. A landing in face of their superior forces, superior munitions, and superior guns was considered by German instructors and masters absolutely impossible; but the Anzacs had forced a landing, thereby demonstrating that they, were brave sons of the parent stock, that the old fighting spirit was not dead, and that the inherent qualities which made the greatness of the British Empire were only sleeping, and required only the occasion to blossom forth to show a greatness which was for all time. (Loud applause.) He could not put into words what he felt about those brave boys. The Patriotic Society wished to do honour to them by the gathering. The interest in them was world-wide. They had a reputation that they must never lose. There would be no prouder bar to wear, no prouder medal to display than that of Gallipoli; and as time rolled on and history was written, the great-great-grandsons of those who did such noble deeds would love to read of them. The history of the great enterprise would not be dimmed by time, but would grow brighter and would shine refulgent for centuries and centuries yet to come. (Loud applause.)

The toast was drunk with musical honours. Colonel Hughes, Private Douglas Seymour (secretary to the Returned Soldiers' Association), and Sapper J. T. Fox (manager of the Returned Soldiers' Club suitably responded.

Mr J. B. Harcourt gave the toast, of "The Navy," which was responded to by Lieutenant-Commander C J Keily, R.N.R.