In its extensive
coverage of the war , the
1916
December Christmas number of the New
Zealand Canterbury Times, in Little Darwin's ephemera collection , contains numerous items of interest, especially one important story headed as follows :
"ANZAC"/A SACRED NAME /TAPU
TO TRADERS . From London , it read –The British Government has not been unduly swift in giving effect to
the public demand that the world "Anzac " should be tapu (taboo ) to soap and pill merchants for purposes of advertising their wares. The notorious land ramp litigations
known as the "Anzac–on-Sea" case drew attention to the undesirable uses to which
this apt piece of word coinage this word
might be put,and there was an immediate demand in England –which found swift and
angry echo from overseas-that the word should
be placed by law above the reach
of those who desire to use it for their own
sordid ends.
That was some months ago, but it
was only last Tuesday that the
government managed to produce the
promised Bill to render "Anzac"
tapu to traders .Then it was "read a
second time ." Mr Prettyman . in
moving the reading of the Bill, said the
word "Anzac" had become almost sacred by its association with the memory of heroism and sacrifice with which they were all
familiar. It was not considered right that the word should be used for trade purposes. , and that they should
have words as Anzac soaps and the Anzac Motor Company used.
They all remembered
the Anzac-on-Sea case , and the improper
use of the word. There was a strong feeling
on the subject in Australia and New
Zealand, and the Commonwealth Government
had expressed the wish to the
British Government that the word for trade purposes should be prohibited. The Government has gladly given
effect to that wish as early as possible . The Bill proposed it that it should not be lawful in connection
with business, calling or profession to
use the word " Anzac" or any word closely resembling that word ,and it imposed suitable penalties
for any infringement of the Act. The
Bill,which will be known as the Anzac (Restriction of Trade Use) Bill, has no
opponents , and may already be regarded as on the Statute Book.
Apropos of the use
of the word "Anzac," “Punch” has the following :
THE
REAL
ANZAC
There
are plenty of slouch-hatted soldiers in town
Doughty
and debonair ,stalwart and brown;
Some
are from Weymouth or Salisbury Plain,
Others
have "pushed" in the Western campaign;
Call
them " Overseas soldiers" or " Down Under" men ,
Declare
that each one is daring as ten ;
Call
them " Cornstalks" or "Fernleaves"-
all
out for a fight-
But
don't call them "Anzacs ," for that isn’t
right .
The
Anzacs –their ranks are but scanty all told –
Have
a separate record illumined in gold.
Their
blood on Gallipoli ridges they poured.
Their
souls with the scars of that struggle are scored ;
Not
many are left, and not many are sound ,
And
thousands lie buried on Turkish ground .
These
are the Anzacs; the others may claim
Their
zeal
and their spirit , but never their name .
