Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-08-07
SIMPLICITY To MARK !
LAST EARTHLY RITES
FOR DEAD PRESIDENT
Washington Thousands to
View Body of Former
Leader as 1t Lies in State
in White House


to receive and pay last tribute to
the dead president.
A state funeral, to be marked by
a solemn dignity and simplicity, was
arranged for by President Coolidge
| and other high officers of the gov.
| renment, who devoted themselves
untiringly to the preparation of cere-
monials which will fittingly express
| the grief and reverence of the
| American people.
President Coolidge, Chief Justice
Taft, members of the cabinet and
of congress; and others high in gov.
eminent councils, will participate in
, the ceremonies.
! AT the suggestion OF President
vited to take part, but after con-
ference between Lieutenant Colonel
Sheriff., aide to the chief executive
and Rear Admiral Grayson, Mr.. Will
sons physician, it was announced
| that because of the condition of his
health, the former president re-
GREETED he would be unable to par.
| ticipate.
Upon its arrival here from San
Francisco Tuesday, the funeral train.
will be met by Mr.. Coolidge and
other ranking officials, who will az
company the body to the White
House behind the escort of squad
ron of cavalry and battalion Ut
field artillery.
1t then will lie in the east room
/ until Wednesday. Whether there
will be private services at the Whits
House will depend upon the wishes
OF Mrs. Harding.
To Lie in State
Wednesday morning the body will
be escorted TO the capitol and placed
in the rotunda. After funeral serY-
ices there it will lie in state until
6 p. m, and, an hour later, will
start on the last journey to Marion.
where on Friday it will find rest
ing place in the soil of Ohio. s
AS the flag-draped casket moves
from the White House over Penn
/
by several thousand troops under
General John J. Pershing, and be-
hind the automobiles carrying Mira.
Harding and members of the FAM
lily, will be President Coolidge, men,
bers of his cabinet, members of
the supreme court and senators and
representatives. In line also will be
representative groups of patriotic
organizations, headed by their re-
Spective commanders, with colorg
and in uniform, as we'll as many
civic and commercial organizations.
Pennsylvania avenue will be roped
off from the White House to the
capitol and will be cleared of traf-
fic. Cordons of police will line the
famed thoroughfare, where it is eS-
timated that more than 100000 will
gather to view the procession.
After the simple services in the
rotunda have been concluded, the
public will be admitted for last
view of the dead. They will march
in from the east entrance four
abreast, but reaching the bier, tina
line will separate, passing two
abreast to either side. There will
and the lines will be kept in con-
Many to View Body 49,
Basng their estimates on similar
events in the past, the police have
reckoned that the number of per-
sons who would view the body from
| 1890 a. m. to p. m. will exceed
100000.
When the doorse have been closed.
the body will be taken to the Union
station with military escort ana
placed aboard the train. President
Coolidge and many other government
officers will accompany it to Ma
rion.
Two army officers, both Ohioans,
were appointed today to represent
Mr.. Coolidge in making arrange
ments at Marion for the funeral.
They are Colonel F. P. Lahrn, for
merly of Mansfield, and. Lieutenant
Edward M. Taylor, of the Sixteenth
Field artillery, formerly Of Marions
and once an employee on President
Harding's newspaper. They will
have credentials from President
Coolidge, placing them in complete
charge of the Marion arrangements.
The funeral train will reach Ma
rion Thursday morning and, there it
again will be met by a military es-
cort. Final arrangements for the
ceremonial there have not been COM
pleted, but it has been announced
that there will be brief burial
service.
Only a comparatively few members
Of congress are now in Washington,
but all of them have been notified
formally of the time of the services
here and as many as can do SO will
come. They probably will assemble
at an uptown hotel Wednesday
morning and march to the Whits
House together to accompany the
body to the capitol.
Proclamation Is Signed
President Coolidge halted today in
the preparations for the funeral
services to sign a proclamation an
nouncing the death Of President
Harding and calling upon the coun-
try to observe Friday, August 1cj
the day Of interment, as day of
mourning and prayer. He also
signed executive orders for the clos.
! ing of all goVernmet departments
from the time of the arrival Of the
| funeral party from San Francisco
Tuesday until after the day of burial.
Other executive orders signed by
the chief executive provide that
there shall be no official entertain
ments until next December 1, and
that formal calls of organizations or
of officials in body at the White
House will be deferred until Septem-
Der 8, the end of the thirty days.
period Of national mourning.
During those thirty days, flags on
federal buildings throughout the
country, on naval ships and at navy
! (r..4:..I -, -