The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-11-12
UNKNOWN DEAD NOW SLEEPS IN
 HIS NATIVE SOIL
tContinued from Page one

tContinued from Page One
 It stands crowning the slow slope of 1 the hills that sweep upward from the river, and just across was Wash 7 l ington. it's clustered buildings and monuments to great dead who have gone on before, moving picture in the autumn haze.
 People in Thousands i People in thousands were moving about the great circle of the ampnl- theatre. The great ones to whom places had been given in the sacred 1 enclosure and the plain folk who trudged the long way pus to glimpse the pageant from afar, were finding their places. Everywhere within the pillared enclosure bright uniforms of l foreign soldiers appeared They were laden with the jeweled orders of rank and merit, worn to honor an Ameri- can private soldier greater than any there in the majesty of his sacrifice, in the tribute his honors paid to all Americans who died.
 Down below the platform placed for the casket, in stone vault, lay wreaths and garlands brought from England,s king and guarded by Brit ish soldiers. To them came the Brit ish ambassador in the full uniform of his rank, to bid them keep these tri- butes from overseas safe against l that hour.
 l Above the platform gathered men whose names ring through history. Briand. Foch, Beatty, Balfour, Jac ques, Diaz and others in a brilliant array of place and power. They were followed by others, Baron Kato l from Japan, the Italian statesmen and officers, by the notables from all countries gathered here for tomor- rows conference and by some Of the older figures in American life, too l old to walk beside the approaching l funeral train.
 Distinguished Men
 1 Down around the circling pillars l the marble boxes filled with dis tinguished men and women, with a cluster of shattered men from army hospitals accompanied by uniformed nurses. A surpliced choir took Its place to await the dead.
 Faint and distant the silvery strains of a military band stole into the big white bowl of the amphi- theatre. The slow cadences and mourning notes of a funeral march 1 grew clearer and the roll and nut ter of the muffled drums.
 At the arch where the choir waited. | his casket down, and, followed bS the generals and the admirals who had walked beside him from the cap ital. he was carried to the place of honor. Ahead moved the white robed ! singers, chatting solemnly.
 l Carefully the casket was placed above the banked flowers and the marine band played sacred melodies until the moment the President and Mrs. Harding stepped in their places beside the casket, then the cords of the Star Spangled Banner swept the throng to its feet again
 A prayer, carried out over the crowd by amplifiers so that no word was missed, took a moment or two then the sharp clear call of the bugle rang in attention" and for two min utes no sound broke the quiet as all stood with bowed heads. It was much ! as though mighty hand had checked the world in full course.
 Then the band sounded and a mighty chorus rolled up the words of America" from the hosts within and without the great open hall.
 President Harding stepped forward beside the coffin to say for America the thing that today was nearest to the nations heart. that sacrifices such as this nameless man, fallen in battle. might perhaps be made unneo- | essary down through the coming years. Every word that President Harding spoke reached every person through the ampliflers, and reached other thousands upon thousands in New York and San Francisco.
 Strong Emotion
 MT. Harding showed strong emotion as his lips formed the last words or ! the addrasG ya h raised hand and head bowed. went on in the measured, rolling period of the | Lords Prayer. The response that came back to him from the thousands he faced, from the other thousands out over the slopes beyond, perhaps from still other thousands away near the Pacific or close packed in the heart of the nations greatest city, rose like a chant The marble arches hummed with the solemn sound.
 Then the foreign officers standing among the soldiers or sailors of their flags. came one by one to the bier to place gold and jeweled emblems for the brave above the breast of the sleeper. Already, as the great prayer ended, the President had set the American seal of admiration for the valiant, the nations love for brave deeds and the courage that defies death, upon the caSket.
 Foreign Honors
 Side by side the medal of honor and the distinguished service cross. And below. set in place with reverent hands. grew the long line of foreign honors. the Victoria Cross, never be- fore laid on the breast of any but | those who had served the English flag: all the highest honors of France, Belgium. Italy, Rumania. Czecho- -Slovakia and Poland.
 To General Jacques of Belgium it remained to add his own touch to these honors. He tore from the breast of his own tunic the medal of valor pinned there by the Belgian King. tore it wath a sweeping gesture and ten derly bestowed it on the unknown American warrior.
 Through the religious services that followed and the prayers, the swell ling crowd sat motionless until it rose to join in the old. consoling words of Rock of Ages and the last rite for the dead was at hand. Lifted by his hero bearers from the stage. the Unknown was carried in his flag wrapped. simple coffin, out to the