The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-08-10
AMERICA BOWS
IN REVERENT
SILENCE
Industries Of Nation Pause As
Casket 10 LoWared-other
Countries Join in Tribute.
BY KENNETH CLARK,
International NeEa aarEine.

International News Service.
The world paused today to pay
final tribute to the memory of War
rem g. Harding, twenty-ninth Presi.
dent OF the United States, az loving
hands laid him away to eternal sleep
with his fathers.
From the nations grieving Capital,
where he came into his greatest re-
nown, to the sun-hathed slopes Of
the Pacific, where destiny overlook
MIN, his own people honored in silent
tributes and soft-spoken prayers
son who arose from obscurity, self
made, to exalted heights Of position
and power In it's every outpost,
from the soft Quietness Of the
tropics to the frozen harshness of
the Artic, the American flag flut-
tered reverentiaIly at half.staff and
guns doomed q mournful salute.
Bells tolled his passing. A hundred
million prayers were sent to keep
him pace on his long journey through
eternity.
Other Nations Mourn.
Across the far-flung domains of
the earth. people of other tongues
paused, too, at work to give solemn.
homage to Americas first citizen.
whose life at its highest moment
was severed by Almighty VIM. In
many foreign Chimes, nations held
simple funeral services a. though
Americas loss was their loss too.
The grief of his own nation was
poured out in his memory in "a
thousand cities, towns, and WI.
lagos, where churches were thronged
that the people might pray for his
soul. All Industry came to a stop;
people turned aside from recreation;
the business OF government was
suspended. This was the outward
sign by which the people honored
him who for twenty-nine eventful
months had been their leader.
Won Lasting Reverence.
But there was q deeper tribute,
which came from the hearts and
souls of men. Although Warren Ct.
Harding had won in life the great.
est victory ever given a citizen Of
the republic, in death he won even
more. He won the lasting reverence
Of his people.
The day had been set aside by
the new President in public proc
lAnaatton az q day Of mourning and
prayer for the dead executive. II
was a rendezvous kept faithfully
from coast to coast. The people'e
grief at the passing Of their leader
was accompanied by heartfelt sym,
pathy for the widow who must
''carry on alone.
Throughout the Nation, work and
play halted while the last sad rites
were begun. In many States, public
holidays were declared. that the
people might more fittingly honor
his memory. The tribute of sus-
pended activity was paid him by
State and municipal governments,
by banks and stores, by factories
and mills, by organised baseball and
the theatrical world.
Memorial seFvices-religious, pub
lie, and fraternal-were held the
Nation over, and America went to it's
worshiping-p places in multitudes to
render tribute.
Nation in Silent Prayer.
A final SURPRISING act Of rever-
ence will come as the body of the
dead President is laid TO sleep eter
nal at 3 o'clock, Central standard
time, in the restful shade of maple
and elm trees in the quiet little
cemetery at Marion. At that mo-
ment the Nation will halt In silent
prayer.
A cessation OF activity will sweep
the land, bringing silence to every
hamlet and to every throbbing GEN.
ter of business and commerce. Bu-
glerS from the American Legion
will render ''tapa'-finality - the
tribute given by an army to it's
commander-in-chief.
All transportation-stea and cleo
tric-will pause; all telephone and
telegraph service interrupted; the
radio silenced, and the armed forces
Of the nation halted in rigid at
tention.
So will the world, led by his own
nation, pay q last fitting tribute tt
a President of the Republic.