Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-12
MEMORIAL SHAFT
PLANNED FOR TAFT
Family to Select Simple
Marker for Arlington
Cemetery Plot.

BY the Associated Prees
The tomb of william Howard Taft
will be marked for posterity with q
/ memorial shaft betting the high place
he held in the heart of the American
people.
The monument is to be selected by
| Mrs. Taft and their three children, who
chose the sylvan nook in Arlington Ma
was President and Chief Justice is now
at rest.
| Simplicity is to be the dominant
characteristic of the marker, Simplic-
! ity that win be imposing but far re-
moved from the severe, with an inscr1p-
ton telling in unaffected language Of
the greatness of the one who lies be-
meath.
With guns booming o requiem, with
President Hoover and the mighty Of the
Government standing reverently by, and
with platoons from the Army, the Navy
and the Marine Corps drawn up in last
salute for one who had been their COM
mander- in-chief, the body of the dead
President was lowered slowly to its last
home yesterday as the day was drawing
to q close.
Then, as the volleys echoed and died
across the broad fields Of Arlington,
came the soft, clear notes of the bugle,
sounding TAPS" and the sky, thick
with clouds and falling rain throughout
the day, frightened, a bit of blue ap-
peared. and soft ray of light played
about the top Of the Washington Monu-
ment and the spires of the city, haSily
visible across the broad Potomac.
Great and Lowly Pay Tribute.
1t had been day in which both great
and lowly had paid their tribute to q
great American. For an hour and a
half the body had lain In state in the
rotunda Of the Capitol, while long lines
| of plain citizens, who had stood in the
falling rain for this opportunity, filed
slowly past.
! Then had come the services ct All
| Souls Unitarian Church, simple cere-
monies conducted by the Taft family
pastor, Rev. Ulysses G. B. Pierce. There
were hymns played upon the organ and
! chimes, prayers, Scripture reading, the
recitation Of few poems that Mr.. Taft
had loved in life. That was all
| Then the final scene. Outside the
troops had waited again to salute as the
casket was carried to a motor haarse
for the long trip to Arlington. Only
| the cars carrying Mrs. Taft and the
family members, President and MRS.
Hoover, and others of the distinguished
group that gathered In the church fol-
lowed it. For the moment, Army and
| Navy had paid their respects and the
battalions could turn to barracks to
change from wet uniforms.
First Salute Fired.
Then the march to Arlington followed.
AS the hearse crossed the reservation
line, the first brazen clamor of a Al
gun salute. the salute to the President
OF the colors, belched forth to send its
echoes Keeling down the hillsides to the
company waiting at the grave far below.
Minute by minute the guns drunanned
out their tale Of soldierly sorrow aS the
slow procession wound its way down
among the trees and the many, many
graves OF the valorous. Again the cas-
ket was placed in its caiSSon.
1t Is wonderful glade, where this
nrSt President to sleep in q National
Cemetery takes his rest. Perhaps an
acre Of woodland sward 10 set close
about BY the red and white oaks, young
ana old. A fine old tree that was there
when George washington came a-court-
ing to the Arlington house On the
heights about stands alone in the Gen.
ter. Westward, up the gentle hillside.
Is group Of half q dozen younger oaks,
And 1t Is beneath their spread bou0hs
that place was made for the newcomer
70 That last sanctuary Of vAlor and
fame.
About the squared sides Of the slaAe
the troops were ranked. Soldiers held
Two sides, Marines and blasiackets the
others. and just back Of the wide tent
nies spread from their poles 10 cover
the grave and the few dearest and
nearest who could crowd about. tie fIIIl
strength Of the Navy Band was mus
Within the square stood . single
rank OF rifiemen, waiting to fire the
nugler, Frank Witchey, who sounded
Taps" for the Unknown Soldier. for
woodrow Wilson, for Warren Harding
and for William Jennings Eryan. Close
behind the soldier lines were the few
hundreds who had dared even this
journey In rain and wind to sag a last
good-by to an old friend.
Band Heard Altar on.
Far away came the tones Of the
Cavalry Band, broken by the ciaanor of
the guns booming their minute siaflaIs
above. As they drew closer the runs
ceased, their tale told, and the music
rang through the wooded hoIlows. It
was dirge old to the Army that the
band played and as they came nearer
and nearer to the open space at the
foot Of the rtfie-ringed square the men
below snapped to stiff attention.
Down wound the troopers, a1impsed
first vaguely through the trees. tho
band Instruments cleaning even ia that
duh light. Then they broke out into
the open with the nnuf1ed nautter Of
the drums lost in the clatter Of their
chargers hoofS. On and on the column
moved, turning at last to form in a
solid, living mass Of men and mounts
behind the foot troops on the rUrth
side Of the square.
The dignitaries, from President down
alighted from their cars, awaiting Mrs,
Taft and the near relatives. The BODY
bearers again took up their burden and
finally, led by DR. Pierce, the little
column moved slowly up and the fiaR-
draped casket vanished into the shelter
Of the khaki-hued, tented faeInNlre
Mrs. Taft with members of the family
passed within, then President and MrH.
Hoover and few nearer, dearef friends
OF the dead. For the others of the
mourning party, for adnirals and gen
erals, for Senators and Representatives.
1t remained to stand clustered outside.
bare-headed, as the simple burial serv-
ice was completed within.
No word Of what was said inside
reached the ears of those about the
outer ring of troops. Rifles of the men
in lines about the great square were ut
parade rest now, the present saluate hay-
ing been rendered as the caSket was
carried up the hill. In that interval,
too, the band played softly amid the
trees the final hymn Of the funeral
service Of William Howard Taft, abide