THE DEAD SOLDIER

Evening Star, Issue 20686, 8 January 1931, Page 9

THE DEAD SOLDIER

LYING IN STATE Pres; Association-—By Telegraph—Copyright PARIS, January C. Wreaths were laid at Marshal Joff re’s side on behalf of tho King, the British Government, the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force the City of London, and the members of the Embassy. THE FUNERAL PROCESSION AN IMPRESSIVE SPECTACLE. PARIS, January 7. (Received January 8, at 10 a.m.) Before daylight mourners commenced to lino the route of Marshal Joffro’s funeral between the Notre Dame and tho Invalides. Tho marshal’s flagdraped coffin, which lay on a high black pedestal in the centre of the magnificent nave, decorated in black and silver and French and Allied flags.

Cardinal Verdier read the absolution and tho coffin was lowered from the pedestal to the accompaniment of bugles and carried to tho gun carriage to which six black horses were harnessed. Brilliantly-uniformbd French and Allied soldiers and ex-solcliers formed the advance guard of the procession, then came the red-robed cardinals and purple-clad bishops, Marshal Joffre’s bay charger, and the gun carriage, escorted by a company of infantry on either side. It was an impressive spectacle as tho long cortege traversed tho Rue de Rivoli, ordinarily noisy and hustling, but now packed with a silent and motionless crowd. Tho coffin was placed in the chapel of tho Hotel des Invalides until burial in tho garden at Louvecionnes, overlooking the capital, which ho saved from capture in 1914. Madame Joffro said the sole object of her life now would be to collect all her husband’s military belongings and souvenirs and assemble therii at their Louvcciennes home, which will be converted into a Joffro museum and will be loft to tho nation.