The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-11-21
FOE WARNS YANKS
AT HERO BURIAL
By BERT FORD.
international News Service Stan
Correspondent,O

| ny bEtEE EOhDs
international News Service Stan
| Correspondent.l
| WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY
NORTH OF .vERDUN, Nov. IL tde-
layed) .-while American troops were
preparing to bury eleven heroes who
had fallen in the last burst OF fight
ing before the. armistice went into
effect, the funeral party was aston
ished at the sight of q dapper young
German major. with the bearing OF
IN aristocrst and wearing the Iron
Cross upon his breast walking
Smartly forward from the German
Hines. He was accompanied by a cap
tain and an orderly bearing a
white nag. Upon the brow OF
hill could be seen five horses In
charge OF two other German orderHes.
! In good English the German major
! asked to see an American officer OF
his own rank. A doughboy. who had
| seen detailed as a grave digger.
paused shoveling and q group OF
| american soldiers soon surrounded
the truce party. whose arrival was
most dramatic with such a setting.
Captain Cabot. of Cambridge, Mass,
IN acting major, who had led his
battalion in many days hard nghting'
stepped forward. saying that his act
ing rank was equal to that OF the
Germans.
The boche major, with the naughty
| air of his military caste, was unable
| to conceal his surprise at the sight
OF a captain in a buck private's uni
form. and tactlessly exclaimed:
What. you captain
Tells Of MInes Ahead.
The German surveyed Captain Cabot
from head to foot but finally explained
his mission He opened large en-
velope and drew forth a communica-
ton written in German which proved
to be a description, accompanied by
chart, showing the land mines Just
ahead Of the New England troops.
Had fighting lasted longer 1t might
have meant scores Of American hVes
The strains Of Nearer, Ny God to
Thee" flooded Schrapnei Valley. skirt
ing the. famous Bots des Caures. north
of Verdun, and echoed through the
hills. framing the scene Of the burial
Of the Americans who fell In the last
hour Of fighting. The third battalion
OF the 1osrd Infantry thinned tneir
ranks into a hollow square around the
single grave. Lying side by side
shrouded in lolive drab army blankets,
with Old Glory spread over the cen
ter, were the bodies. The funeral sery-
ice was held on the summit OF hill
which had been taken by the Ameri-
cans Just q few minutes before hos
tilities ceased.
one of the dead had been q lieu
tenant and a mighty brave fighting
man. CHS name was deleted by the
censor.)
This officer was leading his platoon
M the side of a steep hill in the
face of violent machine gun FIRE, and
had paused to write q note giving In
formation about the position Of Ger
man machine gun nests to- his captain
when he was shot through the brain
When found he was in a sitting
posture, with the paper in one hand
and a pencil in the other. The half
finished note, which was addressed to
Captain Cabot said:
killed writing Report.
"Am held up by machine gun FIRE on
my left. Located four OF them. Also
on my right"
Captain Cabot, in addressing the
men standing about the grave. said:
Fellows, this is a sad hour, placing
in their last resting place. Tar from
home, men I chatted with and fought
beside yesterday. But Yankee pluck
was necessary to take this hill upon
which we stand. The men. called by
fate, gave the greatest gift possible
they made the supreme sacrifice Tor
flag and humanity. They crossed the
ocean to answer to that call. We
have all prayed for victory and peace.
The whole world has longed for II.
And here are our unfortunate COM
rades claimed in the closing hour.
We are proud OF them"
Captain Cabot read a roster OF the
names OF the dead. They included
American, Italian, Jewish, and Irish
names
Capt. A. G. Butler, OF Buffalo, N. Y,
delivered a prayer, and then all heads
were barred as the band played The
Star-Spangled Banner" and the Mar
seillaise."