THE ARMISTICE.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 November 1920, Page 5

THE ARMISTICE.

THE UNKNOWN WARRIOR. TRANSFER OF REMAINS. By Telegraph.—Press Aasn.—Copyright. London, Nov. 10. To-day 'the body of the unknown British warrior started on the journey across the Channel to London. It was a sunny morning. The body lay all night, guarded by poilus, in a historic thirteenth century chateau near the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Boulogne in a ehapel which was a bower of flowers, the walls being masked by roses, lilies and carnations, and the floor being deeply strewed with petals of flowers and laurel leaves. At ten o'clock a French Army Service wagon drove up, and the trumpets of cavalry and the bugles of infantry sounded the "Aux Champs." After the coffin had been placed on the wagon, the trumpets and bugles announced the coming of Marshal Foch. The Marshal took up his position, and, with Admiral Grassot and General MacDonagh, representing King George, marched directly after the coffin, which was draped in a torn and stained Union Jack, beneath which could just be seen the outline of a sword which the King had sent in honor of the unknown.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. AN IMPRESSIVE DEPARTURE. MARSHAL FOCH'S TRIBUTE. London, Nov. 10. A body of veterans of the campaign and soldiers wounded in the great war followed Marshal Foch, also fifty soldiers' orphans, whom the French call the wards of the nation. The route of 14 ;niles was crowded throughout, particularly by widows and bereaved mothers. The catafalque stopped at the quay beside the Verdun, and the procession was grouped on three sides of a square. Marshal Foch advanced, and, speaking with the deepest emotion, paid a tribute to the valor without equal of the "contemptible little British armv" of IM4. General MacDonagh expressed the British nation's gratitude to France for the way she had honored the unknown warrior. Eight big-built British warriors,/including an-Australian and a Canadian, then raised the coffin and moved up the gangway amid a deep hush, only broken by the bosun's pipe from the ' Verdun. Three time's the weird note sounded, being the honor usually granted to admirals and captains

Wreaths from the French army and navy and other trophies were placed on the coffin on the open deck, four bluejackets taking up their position with arms reversed and heads bowed. General Foch, advancing alone to the water's edge, stood at the salute as the Verdun steamed out of the harbor and joined the escort of the French flotilla which greeted her with a field-marshal's' salute of nineteen guns. JOURNEY ACROSS CHANNEL. AN ESCORT OF DESTROYERS. FOCII'S TRIBUTE TO NEW ZEALANDERS. Received Nov. 11, 5.5 p.m . Loydon, Nov. 10. During the cross Channel passage the coffin of the unknown soldier rested on deck, guarded by a solitary naval sentry. Three destroyers were on the right of the Verdun and three were on the left, with three more astern. All had the white ensigns at half mast. They were greeted in England by a salute of nineteen guns fired from Dover Castle. The coffin was carried to the train by ( six warrant officers of all services, six senior officers acting as pall-bearers. The special coach—the one which had carried the bodies of Nurse Cavell and Captain Fryatt—was adorned with white flowers and had the roof painted white, in order that the waiting crowds at each station and along the line would bp able to identify it, and make sad ohesianee as the train passed. The body reached Victoria Station at 8.30, where it remained during the night guarded by Grenadiers.

Marshal Eoch's message to PieldMarshal Sir Henry Wilson yesterday specially mentioned the Australians ami the New Zealander.s and other overseas British troops '"who came to the French battlefields regardless of sacrifice and shed their blood to ensure victory. In the unknown warrior the British Empire was honoring all its heroes." Sir Henry Wilson's reply was couched on behalf of tho soldiers of the British Empire Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. OBSERVANCE IN NEW PLYMOUTH. The two minutes' silence observed in New Plymouth yesterday, on the occasion of tho second anniversary <Jt the armistice, was an impressive recognition of the event. As pedestrians stod with heads uncovered and locomotion was stopped the suleimiess of the mourning for the nation's dead was brought home to all. STRATFORD OBSERVANCE. Armistice Day was appropriately I observed in Stratford. Shortly before eleven o'clock the firebell and the church bells were rung for a few j minutes, and when the bells ceased the two minutes silence was observed. A considerable amount of hunting was displayed in the town.