South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-11-12

uy come or the Diltf NJ uTeS "
American life, too old to walk be
side the approaching funeral train.
War Manned There.
Down around the circIng pillars
the marble boxes filed with dis
tingulshed men and women. with a
cluster Of shattered mer from army
hospitals accompanied by uniformed
nurses. A surpliced choir took its
place 20 await the dead.
Faint and distant the silvery
strains OF a military band stole into
the big white bowl OF the amphi-
theater. The slow cadences and
mourning notes OF a funeral march
grew clearer and the roll and mutter
Of the muffied drums.
At the arch where the choir wait
ed. the here comrades of the dead
lifted his caslket down, and follow
ed By the generals and the admir-
ais who had walked beside him
from the capitol, he was carried to
the place Of honor. Ahead moved
the white robed singers, chanting
solemnly. Carefully. the casket
was placed above the banked flow
ers and the marine band played
sacred melodies. until the moment
the president and Mrs. Harding
stepped to their places beside the
casket; then the triumphant chords
Of the Star Spangled Banner swept
the gathering TO it's feet again.
prayer, carried out over the
crowd by amplifiers so tina. no word
was missed, took a moment or two,
then the sharp clear call of the
bugle rang attention" and for
two minutes the nation stood at
pause for the dead, just at high
noon. No sound broke the quiet
as all stood. with bowed heads. 1t
was much as though a mighty
hand had checked the world in full
course. Then. the band sounded
and in a mighty chorus rolled up
che words OF America" from the
hosts within and without the great
open hall Of valoT.
Pres't.. Harding stepped forward
beside the coffin to say for America
the thing that today was nearest ia
the nations heart, that sacrifices
such as this nameless man, fallen in
battle, might perhaps be made un-
necessary down through the coming
years. Every word that Press
Harding spoke reached every per-
son through the amplifiers and
reached other thousands upon
thousands out over the slopes be-
yond, perhaps from still other
thousands away near the Pacific
or close packed in the heart of the
nations greatest city, rose like q
chant The marble arches hummed
with the solemn sound.
High Officers Next.
Then the foreign officers who
stand highest among the soldiers Oh
sailors of their flags. came one by
one TO the bier to place gold and
above the breast of the sleeper. Al
ready, 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. Side by side, h
laid the medal of honor and the dis
tinguished service cross. And below
set in place with reverent hands
grew the long line of foreign honors
the Victoria Cross never before LAID
on the breast of any but those whC
had served the English flag; all tbs
highest honOrs of France. and Bel
GUM and Italy and Roumania and
CzechO- SlOvakia and Poland. tt
Gen. Jacques OF Belgium it remain
ed TO add his own touch 10 thes,
hoRors. He tore from the breast o
his own tunic the medal of valo
pinned there by the Belgian king
tore ii with a sweeping gesture anC
tenderly bestowed il on the un
known American warrior
Rock of Ages
Through the religious service
that followed and the prayers, tn
swelling crowd sat motionless unit
IL rose to Join in the old. pulsinj
words of Rock of Ages" and tn
last rite for the dead was at hand
Lifted by his hero bearers from tn
stage. the unknown was carried Il
his flag wrapped, simple coffin on
20 the wide sweep Of the terrace
I The bearers laid the sleeper dow
above the crypt in which had bee
Elaced a little of the soil OF France
I The dust his blood helped redeem
+ from alien hands will mingle wit
+ his dust as time marches by.
The simple words Of the buria
! ritual were said by Bishop Brent
flowers from war mothers OF Amer
+ lea and England were laid in place
For the Indians or America, Chic
+ Plenty Coos came TO call upon tn
I great spirit OF the redmen with ges
tuTe and chant and tribal tOngu
that the dead should not have die
f in vain. that war might end, Deac
be purchased ny such blood as this
Upon the easket he laid the cou
stick OF his tribal office and tn
feathered war bonnet from his ow-
head Then the casket with il
weisht OF honors was lowered int
the crypt
A rocking blast of gunfre ran
from the woods. The glitterin
circle Of bayonets stiffened 10 a sa
lutte 10 the dead Again the gun
shouted their message Of honor an,
farewell, again they doomed out;
loyal comrade was being laid to hi
asst. long rest.
the Last Requiem.
High and clear and true in tn
/ echOs of the guns. bugle lifted tn
+ old. old notes OF taps the lullab
for the living soldier. In death hi
requiem, Then long ago some for
f gotten soldier poet caught its mean
ing clear and set il down that sol
diers everywhere might know il
message as they sink 10 rest:
Fades the light:
And afar.