The Icelandic Canadian - 01.12.1946, Blaðsíða 7

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
5
ing of sadness. It is better that we use
his own words and quote from his ad-
dress which was delivered with due
solemnity and in its appeal once more
brought home to us the duty we owe to
them, to their ideals — to our ideals
which we now have a chance to guard
and preserve.
“Once we ease our sadness, we are
better able to analyse our tribute and
in so doing ask ourselves the question,
‘To what are we paying tribute?’ We
are paying tribute to the men and
women who in two World Wars gave
their lives for an ideal. The very nature
of their sacrifice meant that they could
not see that ideal attained. The very
nature of our tribute must be a dedi-
cation of ourselves to the attainment of
that ideal. Until that ideal is an
accomplished fact we cannot say they
didn’t die in vain. They fought for peace
and through peace they sought for our
full freedom. Until the ideal for which
they fought so bravely becomes a reality,
they cannot rest in peace. Our duty to
their memory is plain for all to see. We
must keep faith with them. . . .
“The simplicity of the Tomb of the
Unknown Soldier in Westminster Abbey
is almost awe-inspiring. But to fully
appreciate the security of that soldier’s
sleep one must look to the left. There
one sees the freshness of new structure.
A few years ago you could see the rubble
of a bomb blast where, during the Battle
of Britain, an aerial hit was scored. Not
far from there stand the Houses of
Parliament where the Commons Chamb-
er was destroyed and must be rebuilt.
All buildings in the area show some
signs of bomb damage, but the Tomb
of the Unknown Soldier still stands un-
touched. May there not be divine de-
flection of the bombers’ aim?
“With these facts to reassure us that
our fallen friends will rest in peace
wherever they may lie, what then re-
mains for us to do? We must ensure
that, so far as it lies within our power,
we, the living, will complete the task in
which our friends so bravely died. They
fought for peace and in that peace they
hoped that we would obtain full free-
dom. . . .
“The guns are silent, but peace has
not yet come. In order that our efforts
may be placed in proper channels we
must realize that our country, through,
this last war, has attained full national
status in the councils of the world and
we, as her citizens, have come of age.
Our international responsibilities have
widened in this confused and restless
world. We cannot discard the mantle of
responsibility we now wear as Canad-
ian citizens. Our fallen friends wore it
in the part they played in world events.
Throughout their work they were ever
mindful of their racial origin and their
own religious teaching, but they were
Canadians first and foremost. You and I
are the beneficiaries of their policy of
accepting the responsibilities of full
Canadian citizenship. They had no room
in their short lives for petty provincial-
ism or sectionalism. That is an evil of
peace........
“The words we speak tonight will not
be long remembered, but the task which
lies within our power to help complete
will live forever in the chronicles of
time, if we see it through to fulfilment.
So let us all go forward together, united
in a common cause, determined, as we
watch the plot unfold in the drama on
the stage of world events, to play our
proper role as destiny may direct or
opportunity avail. The smoke of battle
has cleared away and, in the distance,
we can see our goal. As we strive on-
ward let us never forget that ideal for
which we seek
‘ “The tumult and the shouting dies —
The captains and the kings depart
Still stands Thine ancient Sacrifice,
An humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget — lest we forget! ’ ’’
W. J. L.