Evening star., 1939-06-10
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

England's King laid a wreath of
white flowers at the grave of George
Washington yesterday.
With this richly symbolic scene.
enacted on blistering hot summer
afternoon at the edge of green
Virginia woodland. the last far,
faint echoes of the guns Of Saratoga
and Monmouth faded from the
hearing of the souls of two peoples
over the distant, clouded hills of
history.
The speakers of the tongue of
Shakespeare and the heirs of the
spirit of Hampden in all the earth
sealed ceremonially their 125 years
of brotherhood in common ideal
of the dignity of man and the honor
of nations
1t was simple ceremony, over
in a few seconds The King laid
the wreath of white orchids, lilies
and carnations against the front
of the marble sarcophagus which in
closes the remains of Washington.
No Word Mars Impressiveness.
No word was spoken as the new
sisterhood of earth's two greatest
nations, mother and daughter, thus
was sealed over the grave of a man
who long since has been an out
standing hero of both American and
British peoples.
The King and Queen, accom-
panied by the President and Mrs.
PooSova1t opd v,oor,hore of thn ~ou>
party, went Immediately to the tomb
in the Presidents open car from the
Potomac wharf, where they landed
after luncheon cruise from the
Washington Navy Yard.
From the tomb the royal visitors
went to see the Mount Vernon man
sion before departing by automobile
for the return trip to Washington,
with stops to inspect the Civilian
Conservation Corps at Fort Hunt
and lay wreaths on the Tomb of the
Unknown Soldier and at the Cana
dian Cross in Arlington National
Cemetery.
The ceremony at Washingtons
tomb, one of the most dramatic of
the two-day visit of the British SOW
ereigns, was witnessed by one of the
smallest crowds to attend any of
the functions.
Few Guests Look On.
Aside from the official party, lit
tie more than a score of women of
the Mount Vernon Ladies Associ-
alton and a few especially invited
guests looked on.
The monarchs stepped from their
car into cool, strange silence-the
reverential stiffness of earth's holy
spots.
1t permeated the shadows of the
funereal Virginia cedars around the
brick tomb, beyond whose iron
paling. in twin marble sarcophagi,
for 108 years have lain George and
Martha Washington.
Down the brick walk into the
sanctity of these cedars hundreds of
thousands have walked reverently
before them-the heroes of a CEN
tury in mans ceaseless struggle for
liberty the earth over, school chill
dren, mothers of school children,
pilgrims from many lands.
Kings Grandfather Here Once.
Nearly 80 years ago the Kings
grandfather stood here. In the grove
before the tomb he planted an Eng
lish elm. 1t grew and then withered.
Two generations later his brother
came. In the long interval the
shadows Of the black wings of war
had f1uttered over the green hillside
and the red roof of Mount Vernon.
The sumach and the burdock had
grown high above the tomb and wild
grape vines and sweet-scented
honeysuckle had covered it. The
mossy bricks had echoed softly the
roar OF guns in the distance. This
was long past when the Kings
brother came. In the spot where his
grandfather had planted the elm he
planted a green yew, the tree of
English churchyards, from whose
strong wood had been made the bows
OF the archers of Argincourt. 1t has
thrived in the funereal atmosphere.
Over the King yesterday fell the
shadow of the cedar of Lebanon
planted by Theodore Roosevelt, the
white oak planted by William How
ard Taft. They grow well among
the tall cedars, somber sentinels for
the dead.
On the hillside above the tomb is
an unknown field. Purplish blos-
SONS of lupins are scattered thickly
In the grass. They may have been