The Detroit times., 1914-09-25
III TAG ALL
MATS LEFT OF
FALLEN SOLDIER

a. W. - - - -
& was IN the trenches where
6eleians received the Germans
q murderous nre when they
med those two forts the nrst
fsli-- thereby getting an entrance
~ the city. II was here that these
~ went down like grass before
y scythe The Germans had come
~-nothing could stop them--they
oc11ed 70 90 TO their death gladly,
IS one Belgian remarked to me. The
oIctan trenches now are filed and
@voll6d. could hardly find them
yon w4h q guide. They were filled
IIh the fallen One grave was about
z loot long. Another 80 or 80. m se
pa Here II where the metal tags were
11hored. Each man and oficer wears
~ around his neck That OF the
rjvate Is usually tag with num-
~ corresponding with the number
DDosito his name on his company
md resitnental rolls. Many also have
ho number OF the regiment on the
)ag- The tags Of the ofiicers usually
nfe OF Aluminium and besides the
<Iumber have the name and rank.
ometimes also the home address
home Of the privates also have re-
Lnc8d the common tin tag with an
lumtnum one purchased themselves
80 cents each, upon which Is
omped name and address and reg
nent, besides the required number,
After the battle. when the Germans
nd their dead. the collar on each
11rt Is opened, the string cut and the
~ taken and sent to headquarters
ldentincation. There the books
- opened and fallen" together
~ the place on fight or battle b
kl(teu opposite the name and num-
of the dead soldier. .s
% Mege, probably for the first
40 ID German wars, death obliterat-
&Istinction In rank. For the first
~. 90 far as can learn, German
oerp and common soldiers we're
Ned IN the same trench.
~ has always been the rule-a sort
unwritten law--that every fallen
loer should have separate grave
ID not be buried In the common
Cnch- To large extent this is still
me- especially with officers OF high
rank than captain. But the un-
<Dcodented mobility and rapid ad-
10ce OF the German army to Belgium
~ France made this extremely Diff
a n0ncommissioned ofiicer-a vol
n<eef IS years OF age-who com
MINDED q burial squad at Liege, told
~ there was not time to take much
aims IN burying. The tags are now
moved from the fallen, watch, mon
etc.. taken to be sent to the rela.
Ives, the bodies-uniform and ALL
mapped with their blankets and laid
~ rows side by side in the trench.
The fallen OF the enemy are not
1xied In the same trench but are
ICED together In separate trench.
Ven IN death there shall be no
o(berhood between those who fought
"a took each others lives. The uni
rms are taken from the bodies of
"a enemy's fallen and laid on the
- Of the grave as a means Of iden-
1cat:on to friends. II they wear
ES they are removed.
The ofiicer with whom talked said
IT the many separate graves of off,
rG. as had been shown after 1870,
oved troublesome to land owners.
Has beer decided, therefore, wher-
~ Thought best to bury officers
IA their men,
One Of the features Of the German
Az OF b battlefield In this war Is the
tough manner In which the Ger
~ clean mp" the field after bat
II IL not only the natural sense
'orderiiness" which Is so character
Ic Of the German character, but
re Il method and purpose. That
the battlefiela shall reveal no tale.
shall give nothing from which q
HcIusion can be drawn as to losses
my other information. Every
NY is removed as II rag picker
q zone over the field. There is lit.
traces Of graves from the size OF
Heb conclusion might be drawn as
the number buried. The future be-
- to the living. not the dead,
1cms to be the motto.
On the German side OF hat
lave visited ana from the many I
~ talked with who have been over
ler battlefields In Belgium and
1oce, have always heard the
ne observation However fast the
mans advance, they leave a clean
oQuad," In sharp contrast to this
the sections OF battlefelds over
~ the French fought. They are
eY Uttered with guns. knapsacks
0ktts, etc. Every one OF these
~ - : sign readable by the
Ined o61cer.
\ the last analysis Il is the metal
with number-the symbol of a
I1Gn life -of soul sent out in this
mate II represents the "ashes" OF
- battlefield. II IL the reverse side
the glory medal OF war.
Nothing / have seen so far In this
the wretchedness Of the prison.
1f4 the misery In the path of the
~, the suffering Of wounded, the
(ooch arising from Fort Loncin, the
en MANNED for life, has SO Impress
me, 20 saddened me. as this little