The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-11-12
BY DAVID LAWRENCE. -.-
Especial Despatch to The Reformer.
Copyright 1921. ~

By DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial Despatch to The Reformer.) |
Copyright 1921.
ARLINGTON, (Amphitheatre), Va, |
Nov. 12.-Tmee years ago to the hour
the big guns Oh the Western front
stopped firing and the world took count
terday, as if by symbolic parallel, the
President of the United States stood be-
fore the caSket of Americas unknown
dead and preached a sermon of peace.
The thought and inspiration of the mo-
ment conveyed by the President was that
the living should not forget the sacrifices
OF the dead. Mr. Harding with deliberate
Significance Staged the armament con-
ference to begin cOincIdentally with the
unknown dead. He made it the great
reminder of what havoc the war had
wrought, the great reminder of what re-
mains To be done to save the world from
further destruction of human life.
Mr.. Harding'S formula for the future is
as vet underlined. Yesterday he gave ex-
precision merely to the principle Of the
world concerned. Tragically enough there
rode in the procession behind the UNI
known warrior another soldier, and de-
crepit, who once rose to lofty heights as
ne too presented ii formula for world
peace-the league of natons-only to
nave it rejected at home after a historic
political battle.
~ Down Pennsylvania avenue rode the 81
lent figure of Woodrow Wilson in the
back seat of a victoria. drawn by two
horses. Twice had Mr.. Wilson ridden
thus through the main thoroughfare OF
the nations capital, bowling right and left
in response to the plaudits of two inaug
uratiOns. Yesterdays solemnity. = was.
however, no exception. The hundreds OF
thousands of people who had stood in rev
erent silence while President Harding
trHdged ON foot behind the eaSket, gave
vent To an OutburSt of cheering as the for
mer president broke into view.
It's Wilson. It's WILSON, the crowd
shouted, revealing both its surprise ut
his appearance ON such a cold day and the
CCmmendation, too, for the rugged cour-
age which made Woodrow Wilson defy
"A physicians advice and pay homage 10
the soldier whom he commanded to war.
Mr.. Wilson wanted to participate. There
was hesitation about inviting him. 1t
would have been done anyway but with
characteristic disregard of precedent Mr..
Wilson didn't wait for an invitation but
Elupfly told the war dCpaEtment .he was4
coming. He asked permission to ride in
Il carriage saying he could not walk.
The request was, granted.
Il was Mr.. Wilson's first public ap-
March when he was too weak to go far
Their than the capitol building and at the
last moment gave up the idea of riding
down Pennsylvania avenue beside Mr.
Harding.
The mixture Of Wilson's presence as
a war veteran and champion of one ideal
of International cooperation and Mr.
iarding'S conspicuous part in the open
ing on the morrow Of a great interna-
tional conference on the limitation of
amament and the removal of possible
causes of a war in the Pacific gave the
whole day a significance weighed down
with great expectancy not merely for the
United States but for the whole world.
Shall the dead have died in vain?
What has the living done in three years
TO help prevent another great war What
viii the living do really to honor the
memories of the unknown dead who sleep
in the fields of Flanders and in France
and particularly the. thousands of Amer
lean youths who died in the Argonne
three years ago today? These are the
queries that remain on the escutcheon
Of the present as the trumpets pealed
their solemn eulogieS for the heroic dead
of a not far distant war.