Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-11-12
HARDING SPEAKS
AT UNKNOWN GRAVE
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was greater if he hoped for a
victory for all human kind. In
deed, revere that citizen
whose confidence in the right
eousness of his country inspired
belief that it's triumph is the vic
tory of humanity.
This American soldier went
forth to battle with no hatred
for any people in the world, but
hating war and hating the pur-
pose of every war for conquest.
He cherished our national rights
and abhorred the threat of
armed domination; and in the
maelstrom of destruction and
suffering and death he fired his
shot for liberation of the cap
tive conscience of the world. In
advancing toward his objective
was somewhere a thought Of a
world awakened, and we are
here to testify undying graft
tude and reverence for that
thought of q wider freedom.
q, On such an occasion as this.
amid such a scene, our thoughts
alternate between defenders liV-
ing and defenders dead. A CRATE
full republic will be worthy of
them both. Our part is to atone
for the losses of heroic dead by
making a better republic for the
living.
Heart of the Nation
Sleeping in these halolwed
grounds are thousands of Amer
leans who have given their blood
for the baptism of freedom and
it's maintenance, armed eXpon"
ents of the nations conscience.
1t is better and nobler for their
deeds. Burial here is rather
more than a sign of the govern
ment's favor, it is a suggestion
of a tomb in the heart of the
nation. sorrowing for it's noble
dead.
Today's ceremonies proclaim
that the hero unknown iss not
unhonored. We gather him to
the nations breast, within the
shadow of the capitol, of the
towering shaft tn honors
Washington, the great father,
and Of the exquisite monument
to Lincoln, the martyred saviour.
Here the inspirations of yester-
day and the conscience of today
forever unite to make the re-
public worthy of his death for
flag and country.
Ours are lofty resolutiC--s to-
day, as with tribute to the dead
we consecrate ourselves to a bet
ter order for the living. With
all my heart, I wish we might
say to the defenders Tho sur
vive, to mothers who sorrow, to
widows and children who mourn,
that no such sacrifice shall be
asked again.
1t was my fortune recently to
see a demonstration Of modern
warfare. 1t is no longer a CON
flict in chivalry, no more a test
of militant manhood. It is only
cruel, deliberate, scientific de-
struction. There was no con-
tending enemy, only the theoret-
ical defense of a hypothetic OBJ
jectiVe. But the attack was
made with all the relentless
methods of modern destruction.
There was the rain of ruin from
the aircraft, the thunder of ar
tillery, followed by the unspeak-
able devastation wrought by
bursting shells; there were NOR
tars belching their bombs of
desolation; machine guns concen-
trating their leaden storms;
there was the infantry, advanc-
ing, firing, and falling-like men
with souls sacrificing for the de-
cision. The flying missiles were
revealed by Illuminating tracers,
so that we could note their flight
and appraise their deadliness.
The air was streaked with tiny
flames marking the flight of
massed destruction; while the eff
fectiveness Of the theoretical de-
Tense was impressed by the SIM
ulation of dead and wounded
among those ing forward, I'M
daunted and ~ 0eding. AS this
panorama of unutterable de-
struction visualized the horrors
of modern conflict, there grew
on me the sense of the failure
of civilization which can leave
it's problems to such cruel ar
bitrament. Surely no No in au-
thority, with human attributes
and a full appraisal of the patri-