Daily Kennebec journal., 1921-11-12

served in the highest place Of the
nation just as the humble private
riding in such state ahead had gone
down before a shell or bullet. For
that dead mans sake the former
president had put aside his dread of
seeming to parade his physical weak
ness and risked health. perhaps life
to appear among the mourners for
the fallen. There was handclapping
and a cheer here and there for the
man in the carriage, a tribute to the
spirit that brought him to honor the
nations Nameless Hero whose COM
mander-in-chief he had been.
After President Harding and most
OF the high dignitaries of government
had turned aside at the White House,
the procession headed by it's solid
blocks of soldiery and the battalions
of sailors comrades moved on with
Pershing, now flanked by Secretaries
Weeks and DENLY for the long road
to the tomb. 1t marched on, always
between the human borders of the
way of victory the nation had made
for itself of the great avenue: on over
the old bridge that spans the Potom-
&C. on up the long hill to Fort Meyer
and at last to the gate of the great
cemetery beyond where soldier and
sailor folk sleep by the thousands.
There the limbering guns of the artil-
lery swung aside. the cavalry drew
their horses out of the long line and
left to the foot soldiers and the sail
ors and marines the last stage of the
journey.
The White Ampitheatrs
Ahead. the white marble of the am
phitheatre cleaned through the trees.
1t stands crowning the slow slope of
the hills that sweep upward from the
river. And just across was Wash
ington. its clustered buildings and
monuments to great dead who have
gone before a moving picture in the
autumn haze.
People in thousands We're moving
about the great circle of the amphi-
theatre. The great ones to whom
places had been given in the sacred
enclosure and the plain folk who
- ubE-tu tuC iouS way JuSl 10 RlIIlUSe
the pageant from afar were finding
their placing. Everywhere within
the pillared enclosure bright uniforms
of foreign soldiers appeared They
were laden with the jeweled orders
of rank and merit, worn to honor an
American private soldier greater than
any there in the majesty of his sacri.
fees, in the tribute his honors paid to
all Americans who died.
Down below the platform placed for
the casket in a stone vault lay
wreaths and garlands brought from
England's King and guarded by Brit
ish soldiers. To them came the Brit
ish amba ssador. in the full uniform
OF his rank TO bid them keep these
tributes from overseas safe against
that hour.
Foreign Notabies There
Above the platform gathered men
whose names ring through history.
Briand. Foch. Beatty. Balfour,
Jacques, DiaZ and others in a bril-
liant array of place and power. They
were followed by others. Baron Kato
and officers. by the notables from all
countries gathered here for tomor-
rows conference and by some of the
older figures in American life, too old
to walk beside the approaching fu-
neral train.
Down around the circling pillars
the marble boxes filled with distin-
gatshedSmen and women, with a
cinsterO Of shattered men from army
hospitals accompanied by uniformed
nurses. A surpliced choir took its
place to await the dead. &.
Faint and distant the siIvery
strains of a military band stole Lhto
the white bowl of the ampitheatre.
The slow cadences and mourning
notes of funeral march cred clear
er and also the roll and mutter of the
muffied drums.
At the arch where the choir was
waiting. the hero comrades of. the
dead lifted his casket down and
followed by the generals and the ad-
mirals 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 flowers and
the marine band played sacred mel
odies until the moment the President
and Mrs. Harding stepped to their
places beside the casket; then the
crashing, triumphant chords of the
Star Spangled Banner swept the
gathering to its feet again. -
Two Minutes Of Silence 3
A prayer. carried out over the
crowd by amplifiers so that no word
was missed. took 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 mighty hand had checked
the world in full course. Then the
band sounded and in a mighty chorus
rolled up the words of America"
from the hosts within and without
the great open hall of valor.
President Harding stepped forward
beside the coffin to say for America
the thing that today was nearest
10 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 President
Harding spoke reached other thou
sands upon thousands in New York
and San Francisco.
President 10 Moved
Mr. Harding showed strong emo
ton as his lips formed the last words
OF the address. He paused, then