Evening star., 1921-10-17
|PERSH|NG BEST0WS
IL. s. HONOR MEDAL
Lays Gift of Americans on
Tomb of "Unknown War
rior" in London.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
LONDON, October 17-The Brit
ish government today decided to
award the Victoria Cross, the
highest British award. to Amer
fca's "unknOwn warrior"
LONDON, October 17.-Upon the
simply inscribed slab in Westminster
Abbey. which marks the tomb of
Great Britain's Unknown Warrior
was laid today the highest decora-
ton within the gift of the American
people. 1t was the medal Of honor
voted by the Congress of the United
States in reaffirmation of the COM
radeship which united the United
States and Great Britain in the world
war. s-se ~. -.-.s-, r. -
The official presentation was made
by George Harvey, American ambas-
sador to the court of st. James, who
delivered Il brief address as the rep
representative of the American gov
The act of bestowing the medal was
performed by Gen. John ]. Pershing.
commander of the American armies
in France during the great struggle
PershinE In Royal Carriage.
Simplicity marked the presentation
and bestowal of the medal, there be-
ing only brief choral service pre-
ceding these ceremonies, which were
witnessed by distinguished assem-.
bly,. Included in the group in the
nave of the historic abbey We're the
Duke of COnnaught, representing
King George: members of the British
cabinet, heads of governmental de-
partments and attaches of the Amer
ican embassy. whose presence testi-
fed to the significance of the event
The transepts and the choir of the
ancient edifice were filled. there be-
ing 1900 visitors admitted to witness
the scene.
Gen. Pershing, accompanied by Mai.
Oscar \. Solbert. military attache:
Vice Admiral Albert +. Niblack and
Rear Admiral Nathan c. Twining.
left the American embassy and en-
tered royal carriage, which. with
through Belgrave Square. past St
James Park, and proceeded by the
way of Birdcage walk to the pre-
cincts of tn abbey. There it met
part of the American composite bat
TALON, which arrived yesterday from
CoblenZ. With the Americans were
drawn up officers and men from the
royal navy, contingents of the royal
air force. the Grenadier, Coldstream,
Scots and Welsh guards and detach-
1nent of territorials.
The guard brigade band had
HtdTC:tu Will lhc AWGTlCdn SOl0l6rS
from the Duke of York's School,
where they were quartered, to. posi-
tiGns outside the abbey.
Procession Moves to Grave.
Gen. Pershing's arrival had been
preceded by a few minutes by that of
the Duke of Connaught, who was ac-
corded the royal salute and the Brit
ish national anthem. Gen. Pershing
was received with the generals sa-
sspYHI-
Spangled Banner" Gen. Pershing and
the duke walked between formations
of troops to the north transept door
of the abbey. where they were met
by the dean and the canons and choir
of Westminster. and were escorted
the procession moved to the grave
of the unknown soldier" the whole
way being f1anked by American and
British soldiers and sailors.
After the medal had been bestowed.
the dean, in a brief address, accepted
Hymn of the Republic and the Amer
ican and British anthems concluded
the service.
Leaving the abbey. the duke and
Gen. Pershing were given the royal
salute, and the massed bands played
the American and British anthems.
The duke walked DOWN IN front OF
the lines of American troops, while
Gen. Pershing walked in front Of the
British soldiers, drawn up before the
doors of the abbey. Nhe American
naval contingent which took part in
the ceremony was from the cruiser
Olympia, which is lying at Plymouth.
Seated in the nave of the abbey dur
ing the ceremony were Field Marshals
Haig, French, Allenby. Robertson and
Wilson, representatives of the Indian
army, Lord Cavan. who commanded
British forces on the Italian front
during the war, and many other Brit
ish chieftains.
There were also present army Of
ficers who have been chosen to act
as British military representatives at
the conference on Limitation of arma-
ments at Washington, allied military.
naval and air force attaches. high
commissioners and agents-general
for the dominions, and representa-
tIves Of the British legion. the Pill
grims, the British Empire Service
League and other organizations.
Gen. PershinE's Remarks.
"One cannot enter here and not feel
oyerpowering emotion in recalling the
important events in the history Of Great
Britain that have shaped the progress
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