The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1921-01-01


who lost their husbands only. They were given
positions in accordance with the price they had
paid during the war. girl who wrote she mao
lost nine brothers killed or missing was given
ticket as was also twelve-year-od boy who wrote:
1.-The man in the coffin might be my daddy
AS "Big Ben" the great clock In the tower OF
the parliament building, began to strike the hour
Of eleven, King George facing the coffin OF the
unknown soldier, which was resting on gun car
riage, drew a cord that released the union jack
draped about a cenotaph in Whitehall erected to
the GLORIOUS Dead" and after the last stroke OF
the hour. thousands Of people, who crowded
Whitehall as far as one could see In either direc-
tion remained absolutely silent for two minutes.
During the brief services In the nave OF the
abbey the king stood at the foot Of the grave the
royal ladies and princes ranging themselves on
either side. The casket was transferred from the
carriage to the altar where the archbishop Of
Canterbury conducted the solemn funeral ritual.
As the coffin finally was lowered into its crypt,
a battery of artillery in the adjoining st. James
park fred field marshal's salute Of 10 guns
the highest military honor accorded anyone out
side royal rank.
Official and civilian France paid honor to the
memory Of the nations sons who fell during the
Great War; the ceremonies lending a solemn at
mosphere to the celebration Of the second ami
versary of the armistice. Paris accustomed to
observing its victory days and national fetes with
rejoicing. turned aside this year and dedicated
the day to memory and recognition Of the sacri-
fee by hundreds Of thousands Of dead. who are
sleeping in cemeteries along the battle lines
Called from Its grave the field of Verdun,
the body Of an unidentified French "pou" was
carried with pomp and ceremony through the
streets and reburied under the Arc de TriOmphe.
The bodies Of eight unidentified French soldiers.
exhumed from as many sectors of the former bat
tie line from the Belgian frontier to the Vosges.
arrived at the verdun citadel the day before.
In a low casemate the eight bodies lay In state
that night surrounded by thousand lighted can
dies while stern men and weeping women filed
silently past On stand nearby were trophies
from the City Of Verdun which were to be de-
posited upon the coffin Of the unknown soldier
chosen and to accompany the body In its last
Journey to the Arc de TriOmphe, there to remain
throughout time. The trophies were the Croix
de Guerre the insignia Of the Legion Of Honor,
the Military Cross the Order Of Leopold. the Dis
tingushed Service Medals, sabers of honor pre-
scented by China and Japan, the Greek War Cross,
the italian Military Medal and numerous others.
One body was chosen from among the eight by
Private August Thin, native Of Caen, Brittany,
who was volunteer during the war. At the re-
o,iest Of Andre Maginot minister Of pensions. the
veteran placed his hand on one coffin and the
veterans choice the unknown Dead" Of
solemn and impressive ceremony.
In addition France took occasion to remember
that 80 wears ago the country. defeated by Ger
MANY owed its very existence for q time TO Leon
Cambetta who took virtual control of affairs in
Paris when the city was besieged by Germans and
later succeeded in organizing armies to continue
tbe futile struggle against the Teuton invaders.
The heart of Gambetta which had been pre-
served since his death in 1882 was inurned in
the Pantheon. the national shrine Of France.
The procession formed In Place Denfert Ro-
chereau at 8 80 o'clock, the head Of the column
standing in the shadow Of the huge statue Of the
Lion of Belfort which represents the spirit Of the