New-York tribune., 1921-11-12
His Sacrifice Shall Prophecy of Harding Over Bier Of Soldier

They kept their eyes on the nag that
covered the coffin they thought held him.
Then those gayly uniformed marine
musicians began to play--this time a
triumphant piece. The President rose
to his feet, as did all that assemblage.
Soldiers of every nation snapped their
hands rigidly to their foreheads, and
high above them all the Unknown
thrilled again as he, too, came to at
tention for the anthem.
Whole Nation in Silence
As the last note had ceased to echo
among the russet and gold leaves of
the high trees that are the background
of the amphitheater trumpet sound
ed. It was "Attention!" Three times
it was blown, and then stiffness came
over the HILL It was uncanny, that
silence, and it puzzled the Unknown
until he learned by some wireless
energy more subtle than that which
functions in the gigantic steel towers
near by that this silence had descend
ed upon the whole nation, upon the
town or hamlet where nc was reared
and where his own people dwell and
mourn.
Before he could cease to wonder it
was two minutes past noon by mortal
clocks and the termination Of the ST.
lence was announced by the booming
of another of the minute guns across
the river at the base of the towering.
monument that commentaries the ma
tions first hero. Then, while the
mourners remained standing, even the
soldiers with one leg gone, the gather
ing began to sing america" 1t was
possible to distinguish the voice Of the
President and the booming notes of
Sergeant Woodfli standing rigidly in
his place between the casket and the
Chief Justice of tho United States, and
if those who sang turned their heads
a trifIe and wished hard enough they
could hear the voice of the Unknown
louder and more musical than any
other.
A large man in the frock coat of
cfficialdom moved out beside the
casket as the music ceased. 1t was the
Secretary of War, himself sailor once.
and between a sailor and soldier
there is no difference except in the
theaters they select for their fighting.
Mr.. Weeks, the master of ceremonies,
said that there was only one person
fitted to speak for the nations pur-
was the President.
1t is not likely that the Unknown re-
quired the amplifiers that carried the
Presidents voice to the cutter fringe
of the thousands on the cemetery
slopes to understand what he was say
ing:
"This American soldier went forth
50 battle with hatred for any peo-
pie in the world, but hating war and
hating the purpose of every war for
conquest. In advancing toward his OBJ
iective was somewhere thought of
world awakened, and we are here to
testify undying gratitude and rever-
ence for that thought OF wider free
DOM"
Then the youth, this spirit that once
moved about in heavy reconstructed
shoes and rough, muddy WOODEN clothes
so that he was not to be distinguished
from millions of his brothers, then he
knew that this was his day of victory.
Then be understood the brlliance with
which his eountrynlen had graced the
occasion of his burial.
The Unknown heard the President
say:
STANDING to-day on hallowed
ground, conscious that all America has
halted to share in the tribute of heart
and mind and soul to this fellow Amer
lcan and knowing that the world is
noting this expression of the Repub-
lies rfindfulness, it is fitting to say
that his sacrifice, and that of the mil
lions dead, shall not be in vain. There
must be, there shall be, the command
ing voice of conscious civilization
against armed warfare
Prayer Ends the Tribute
lie heard: "our Father, who art in
Heaven, hallowed be Thy name"
When the President said final word
there was an echo that was louder than
the original, and it might have been
the mechanical contrivance for, carry
ing the sound to those outside, and
then, too, it might have been the voice
of the Unknown, and the word was
Amen"
The Unknown heard more singing
and knew that others of his country
men were trying to express to him the
same thoughts that he had heard from
the President 1t was quartet, and if
the Unknown in those days before the
war attended the Metropolitan opera
Of the voices of Miss Rosa Ponselle,
Miss Jeanne Gordon or Morgan King
ston or William Gustafscn as they
sang:
o valiant hearts, who to your glory came
Through dust of conflict and through the
battle flame:
All you had hoped for, all you had. you
To save ,nankfnd-yourselves you scorned
to save.
1t may be that the Unknown did not
know that this was song called "The
Supreme Sacritice.'' But surely he
understood what followed.
Before the song ended Il soldier,
an officer, as the Unknown saw at a
glance at the Sam Browne belt and
The glistening boots, had begun to
shift the flowers on the coffin, and when
he had them piled at the foot he rolled
back the flag with its fringe OF. gold
from, the head Of the casket. And now
the Unknown must have seen that Mrs.
Harding's face was streaked with tears
and that hers was not the only one
so marked.
He saw the President step forth
again beside the casket and read III
solemn tones two acts of Congress, one
conferring upon the Unknown postum
nous decorations, the Distinguished
Service Gross and yes, the Congress
sional Medal of Honor, the same pre-
cious token of valor that hung at the
bronzed throat of Sergeant Woodfill
He may have watched intently as the
President bent and pinned to the black
coffin lid the two rare jewels, after
saving: "Won in mortality, to be worn
in Immortality" He saw him step
backward and bow in salute.
Next came Lieutenant General Baron