New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1921-10-07
unknown SOLDIER
TO Be H0N0RED
WILL BE BURIED IN ARLINGTON
ON ARMIsTicE DAY WITH ALL
MILITARY CEREMONY.
REPRESENTS THE SERVICE
How It Happened That Many Who
Died in France Could Not Be Iden-
titled. Despite the Disks They Were
Given.
BY EDWARD 3. A r

~
tries which took a part in the great
war as allies against the central pow
ers of Europe. an unknown American
soldier will he buried on Armistice day
In the national cemetery at Arlington.
The highest military hOnors which It
is possible to give will be accorded the
unknown warrior,
Already in England and in France
the bodies of unknown soldiers of
those countries have been buried with
every possible tribute. The French
soldier lies under the Are de Tri-
omphe, and the British soldier within
the walls Of Westminster abbey.
Gen. John J. Pershing, commanding
general of the American army, is now
on his way to France. where he will
participate in the ceremony of award
ing the American Medal of Honor,
voted by the American congress, to
the unknown soldier of France. whose
body lies under the great triumphai
arch.
If General Pershing has time before
his presence is needed in the United
StnteS To welcome Marshal Foch and
other foreign military officers, he will
visit England and place the American
Medal of Honor upon the grave of the
unknown British soldier, who lies in
Westminster abbey. In case he can
NOT visit England, the medal ceremony
will be performed by another Ameri-
can military officer of high rank.
Represents Spirit of the Service.
The unknown American soldier,
whose body is To he buried in Airing
ton on Armistice day, will rest in tho
great amphitheater which has within
its encircling walls Il Hall Of Fame.
The soldier will he the only unknown
American to rest within the enclosure,
Unknown as he is. this American mem-
her of the eXpeditionary force Is IN
sentiment supposed TO represent the
spirit uf the service aud the willing
ness for sacrifice of all Americans
who entered the army or navy during
the great war. That he is no known
adds, Of course. To the somewhat mys-
teal nature of the ennobllng cere-
monN.
Who is the unknown soldier? No
one can answer. 1t Is certain. OF
course. that the American authorities,
and the British and French authorities,
used every effort 10 determine the
identity of the unknown before max
In. Al, l.lfn. tlx u,,I ia.fg md tho aan-
ters Of the tributes of the nations. A
good mann unknown soldiers were bur
led in the fields Of France. Since their
burial, some Of the unknown dead have
been identified. hut Identification in
many eases has been du" more 10 aC-
cidcnl than to anything else.
Every soldier and sailor in the
American army, officer or enlisted
man. was supposed to ear on his
person two identification disks. Some
times three were worn, N on the
wrist and two about the neck pendent
from cords. When n soldier was bur
led on the field one of his Identifies
iion disks was buried with him and
INV fllltl WIS kflN WI lflfif1l'f. w
less the burial was under fire. or nee
essarily hurried for some reason. the
grave always was marked with the
Identification number of the dead and
with the number of his regiment and
the letter Of his company. These pre-
liminary precautions made il possible
in almost every ease Ia fix the iden-
iity Of the fallen.
Discarded or Lost Their Disks.
Soldiers sometimes did curious
things which IL Is hard tn explain.
4. number Of men threw away their
Identification disks or else lost them,
although how they could be- lost it Is
hard Ia explain. The cords by which
the disks were suspended from the
neck and hidden under the blouse We're
stout tapes which years. OF wear seem
ingiy would not ahrade to the break
ing point. The tapes and pendants
were not supposed to he removed.
Ia all the armies which fought the
Germans on the western front II was
found M times that soldiers who had
been killed bore no Identification tags
There were n few eases in which all
the insignia on the mans clothing had
been removed. In most of these cases
the presumption was that the bodies
lay unburied after a temporary re-
treat and that the Germans removed
the tags and the regimentaI identif-
cation marks for the purpose Of deter
mining just what units Of The enemy
lay ut their front. This is regarded.
VI course. as being u legitimate act In
warfare for il is ~ the greatest serv-
ice sometimes To the commanding off
Ger To- know with whom he IL TO deal
nj his front.
Watson May Be Senate Leader.
During the vacation time the Re
publican SENATORS who remained in
Washington interested themselves In
auiei discussions a. to who should
lie the temporary leader of the party
in the Ser,at. while Senator Lodge
is serving in the r,Dm OF the
conference oi the limitation If arma-
nIeIts and Far East problems. There is.
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