The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-11-18
ROOSEVELT WILL
SEE SONS GRAVE
AT END OF WAR
Asks That Quentin's Body
Remain Where Buried
by FOemen.
WILL ERECT HEADSTONE
Gen. March Gives Directions
That Mound Shall Not Be
Disturbed.
WILL ERECT HEADsTONE

Col Theodore Roosevelt and Mrs.
Roosevelt will make a pilgrimage TO the
grave OF their son, Lieut.. Quentin Roose-
velt. when peace comes. They will leave
his body in the French grave, where
German airmen buried 1t. General Pey-
ton c. March. Chief of Stan. U. S. Army,
has consented that the body shall re-
main on French soil.
Miss Josephine NJ. Stricken. secretary
TO Col. Roosevelt, authorizedashe publi-
cation yesterday OF the correspondence
between Gen. March and Col. Roosevelt
concerning the family wish that Quen-
tins body might be left among the peo-
pie for whom he fought. In granting
the request the War Department au-
thorised Gen. Pershing to respect sim
liar suggestions made by relatives OF
other fallen soldiers.
In his letter to Gen. March, Col
Roosevelt said:
New YORK. Oct %. 1918.
Mt DEAR GENERAL MARCH:
The enclosed clipping states that all
the American dead will be taken home
after the war according to orders re-
ceived by the army chaplains. l do
not know whom to write to in the
matter, so / merely ask that you turn
this over to whomever has charge of
II.
Mrs. Roosevelt and wish to enter
a most respectful but most emphatic
protest against the proposed course
90 far as our son Quentin is concerned.
We have always believed that
Where the tree falls.
There let 1t lie."
We know that many good persons
feel entirely different, but to US 1t is
painful and narrowing long after
death to move the poor body from
which the soul has fled. We greatly
prefer that Quentin shall continue to
lie on the spot where he fell in bat
tie and where the foeman buried him.
After the war Is over Mrs. Roose-
welt and / intend to visit the grave
and then to have a small stone put
up saying 1t is put UP by Us. but
not disturbing what has already been
erected TO his memory by his friends
and American comrades in arms.
With apologies for troubling you.
Very faithfully yours.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
To this Gen. March replied:
WASHINGTON, Oct. 20. 1918.
Mr DEAR Mr.. ROOSEVELT: have
your letter of October 25. 1918. with
reference to the bringing back OF the
American dead from France.
The policy of the War Department
in this respect is of long standing,
having been initiated in the days OF
the Spanish war and the Philip
pine insurrection and continuing
during the minor troubles in Mexico.
The policy is to return to the United
States the bodies of our soldiers who
died on foreign soil, and Is in response
to the practically unanimous demand
on the part of the relatives of the
deceased soldiers.
IN view. however. of your desire
10 have the body of your son Quentin
remain where he fell in France, which
| am entirely In sympathy with. l am
sending an order to Gen. Pershing
TO carry out your wishes in the matter
and am giving him general authority
10 take the same course of action with
regard to the body of any other soldier
whose relatives pr proper legal rep
resentatives desire such a course to
be taken. Very truly yours.
PC. MARCH.
General, Chief OF STAFF.