Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-25
TAGGED BY NUMBER,
IDENTITY is SURE
OF GERMAN DEAD
Cleanup Squads Bury
Slain So That Battleields
Shall Tell No Tales to the
Enemy.
BY KARL H. Won w1EGAND

GIEGE, Sept %
Here where the tide of German advance
for a time dashed on the rock and steer
Of Belgian forts, 1 saw something when
affected me far more than any of the
sorrows Of war l have yet encountered.
II was a good sized basketful OF metal
tags, under careful guard at military
headquarters.
They are all that is left of 'unsere
braven junge (our brave boys) who fell
in and around Liege-their identification
mark" said the officer.
asked permission to examine one. 1t
was a small tin tag with two holes for
the string or ribbon. A large number
was stamped on 1t, and, below. the num-
Der of the regiment
This little metal tag then that I held
1t was the ''remains'-all that was left
Of that life-of that husband, father or
brother. 1t was the monument and at
the same time the metallic tag and num-
ber Of human life in the indexed cata-
logue of an army OF human lives. Just
This afternoon l saw the rest Of
that tag and many others like it-rather,
the place where that rest" or remainder
OF that tag was. Between the forts Bar
chou and Evegnes 1t was in the trenches
where the Belgians received the Germans
with a murderous fire when they stormed
those two forts-the first that fell-there
by getting an entrance into the city. 1t
was here that these men went down
like grass before the scythe-
Here is where the metal tags were
gathered. Each man and officer wears one
around his neck. That of the private is
usually tag with a number correspond
ing with the number opposite his name
on his company and regimental rolls.
Many also have the number of the regi-
ment on the tag. The tags of the officers
usually are of aluminium and besides the
number have the name and rank, some
times also the home address.
After the battle, when the Germans find
their dead. the collar on each shirt Is
opened, the string cut and the tag taken
and sent to headquarters for identifica-
tion. At Liege, probably for the first
time in German wars, death obliterated
distinction in rank. For the first time.
so far as l can learn. German officers
and common soldiers were buried in the
same trench.
noncommissioned officer who COM
manded burial at Liege told me there
was not time to take much pains in
buryinS The fallen of the enemy are
not buried in the same trenches. but are
placed together in n separate trench.
Even In death there shall be no brother
hood between those who fought and took
each others lives.
One of the features of the German side
OF battlefield in this war Is the thor
ough manner in which the Germans
'clean up the field after a battle 1t
is not only the natural sense of "orderli-
ness" which Is so characteristic OF the
German character. but there Is method
and purpose. That is. the battlefield shall
reveal no tales. 1t shall give nothing
from which n conclusion can be drawn
as to losses or any other information.
There Is little trace OF graves from the
size of which conclusion might be drawn
as to the number buried. In sharp con-
trast to this are the sections of the bat
tlefelds over which the French fought.
At the last analysis 1t is thc'metal tag"
with a number. the symbol OF human
life-of a soul sent out In carnage. II rep
resents the "ashes" Of the battlefield II
Is the reverse side OF the glory medal OF
war.