New-York tribune., 1921-11-06
Al THE SHRINE OF AN UNKNOWN sol DIF1
0OA~DAA~'
MERICA'S Unknown Soldier, silent
N comforter Of thousands of mothers
"a whose sons are in unnamed graves in

- whose sons are in unnamed graves In
France will be buried in Arlington
f,metery on Armistice Day, Friday, Noveyn-
ns IL
After resting In state for day and a
night under the great dome of the national
c.uisol the Unknown Soldier. who might have
lied IN Belieau Wood or at Chateau Thierry.
or In the Argonne the St. Mhie salient.
or who perhaps fell at some lonely outpost the
name OF which never will figure in history.
viii be carried to the nations great Valhalla.
President Harding, on foot and accompanied
by the members OF his Cabinet and other Off
cials viii march with the funeral cortepe
Former President Wilson, if his health per-
mits, viii have his place at the cemetery. Fer
Two minutes, by Presidential proclamation.
business and pleasure will be suspended every
where throughout the nation Men. women
and children, in whose behalf the Unknown
Soldier gave his life, will pay silent tribute
not alone TO this one man, but to his 100000
lighting comrades. who without thought Of
Of in defense Of liberty
France, England and Italy have honored
their unknown soldiers. The United States
aas helped. through its personal representa-
sives IN paying tribute to those fallen heroes.
Now from the far corners of the world will
comes tributes to Americas Unknown Soldier.
From every state in the Union where there
are mothers who have had no word of the
iast resting places Of soldier sons there will
come prayers which will Indicate that some
degree Of comfort has been found For among
all those mothers there will not be one who
viii not have the thought that perhaps her
son, whether he be from Maine or Illinois or
California, or from the heart of the South. is
resting at Arlington beneath all the honors
that the world is ready to heap upon the tomb
of the Unknown Soldier,
A scant two weeks ago the unknown solder
lay in an earth-stained coffin in fag-deco
rated room in the City Hall at Chaons-sur
Aarne Three other coffins were in the room
The cofins had been brought there from the
four American military cemeteries at Bel
leany, BOny. Thiacourt and Romagne.
The selecting of the Unknown Soldier from
among these four made simple and at
The same time a beautiful task A stalwart
American sergeant, who had fought in all
The American offensives and who wore two
: wound stripes, walked slowly past the coffins,
while in the adjoining room a French infantry
band played q funeral dirge. In the corporal's
hand was cluster of white roses
Twice the soldier paced the length of the
room beside his sleeping comrades whom none
might ever cali again by name Then he
gently placed the roses on the coffin of the
one who to be honored not only by this
entire nation, but by aff-its allies
The coffin was borne from the room by six
other non-commssloned officers while the
sergeant stood at attention 1t was placed in
casket sent from this country bearing tbs
inscription;
An unknown American soldier, who gave
ais life in The great war"
The ogner coffins, after the Unknown Sol
der had thus been chosen. were borne away
to be permanently reinterred in Romagne
Cemetery
At the request Of the American authorities
the ceremony was as simple as possible. A
delegation representing the Paris post of the
American Legion, two companies Of French
Soldiers and guard of fifty men from the
american army on the Rhine were present.
brief tribute was paid by General Duport
1ron the French army, and in the afternoon
as people of Chalons paid their respects as
tae body lay in state
On the following day the body was taken
Havre, where it started its final journey
across on the United States cruiser
olympia. There was no ceremony Of any
aind at Paris, at the request Of American au-
'a0ritles- The only formal French ceremony
COX place at Havre when the decoration Of
sae Legion Of Honor was placed on the coffin.
On board the Olympia, which bore the body
VI the Unknown Soldier to the hero's home
ana. was large box of earth from the Amer