The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-11-12
UNKNOWN DEAD IS
LAID To REST As
NATION M0URNs
All America Represented at
Washington Yesterday
THOUSANDS FOLLOW BIER
One Of the Most Impressive Ger
emonies Ever Held in the
United States
THOUSANDS FOLLOW BIER

Washington, Nov. 11.-(By The AS
sociated Press. )-Under the wide ant
starry skies of his own homeland
Americas Unknown Dead from
France sleeps tonight, a soldier home
from the wars.
Alone he lies in the narrow cell ol
stone that guards his body; but his
soul has entered into the spirit thai
is America Wherever liberty is helt
close in mems hearts the honor and
the glory and the pledge OF high EN-
deayor poured out over this nameless
one OF fame, will be told and sung
by Americans for all time.
Scrolled across the marble arch OF
the memorial raised to American sol
dier and sailor dead everywhere
which stands like monument behind
his tomb, runs this legend;
I'VE here highly resolve that these
dead shall not have died in vain"
The words were spoken by the
martyred Lincoln over the dead at
Gettysburg. And today, with voice
strong with determination and ring
ing with deep emotion, another Presi
dent echoed that high resolve over
the coffin OF the soldier who died for
the nag IN France,
Great men in the worlds affairs
heard that high purpose reiterated by
the man who stands at the head OF
the American people. Tomorrow they
VIII gather in the city that stands al.
most in the shadow OF the new Ameri
can shrine of liberty dedicated today
They VII talk of peace; of the curb
ing of havoc of war. They viii speak
OF the war in France that robbed this
soldier OF life and name and brought
death To comrades OF all nations by
the hundreds Of thousands. And In
their ears when they meet must ring
President Hardings declaration today
beside that fiag.wrapped. honorladen
bier;
There must be, there shalt be, the
commanding vo ce of conscious
civilizat on against armed warfare"
Far across the seas, other unknown
dead, lhallowed in memory by their
countrymen as this American soldier
Is enshrined In the heart of America,
sleep their last He, in whose veins
ran the blood OF Brit sh forebears,
lies beneath q great stone in ancient
Westminster Abbey; he of France
beneath the Arc De Triomphe, and he
OF Italy, under the altar OF the
Fatherland In Rome. And ii seemed
today that they, too, must be here
among the Potomac hills to greet an
American comrade come to join their
glorious company. to testify their ap-
preciation OF the high words of hope,
spoken by Americas President
Soldiers and sailors and marines
all played their part in the thrilling
spectacle as the cortege rolled along.
And just behind the casket, with its
faded French flowers on the draped
flag, walked the President, the chos-
en- leader CT hundred millions in
whose names he was chief mourner
at this bier. Beside him, strode the
man under whom the fallen hero
had lived and died in France, Gen.
eral Pershing wearing only the sin
gle medal of victory that every Amer
lean soldier might wear as his only
decoration.
Then row on row came the men
who lead the nation today, or have
guided its destinies before. They
were all there, walking proudly with
age and frailties OF the iesl forgot
ten. Judges, senators, representa-
tives, highest officers Of every mill.
tary arm of government, and trudg-
ing little group OF the nations most
valorous sens, the medal of honor
men. Some were grey and bent, and
drocping with old wounds; some trim
and erect as the day they won their
way to fame. All walked gladly in
the nameless comrades last parade
Behind these came the carriage III
which rode Woodrow Wilson, a.s1
stricken down by infirmities as he
served in the highest place OF the
nation lust as the humble private
riding in such state ahead, had gone
down before shell or bullet. FoI
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 fol
the fallen. There was handclappina
and a cheer here and there for the
man in the carriage, tribute to the
spirit that brough him to honor the
nations name'ess hero whose com
mander-in.chief he had been.
The American capital, long accus
toned to military pageants and OF
fetal ceremonies, never provided one
that approached in sombre and mag
lniflcent impressiveness, and in ac
claim as well, the two phases of it:
most historic day The features tina
appealed most strongly to the mint
and heart were the beauty and sim
plicity Of both.