The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-12-12
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
IN FOR M A TION
Blu RE AU
FREDERIC J. HAsKIN. Director.
Washington. d. &
THE AMERICAN DEAD.
Washington. d. C

American dead in France be disin-
tered and brought back to America,
or shall their bones be. allowed to
remain permanently in the soil of the
country where they fell?
This question. which is supposed to
have been settled some months ago by
an official order of the secretary of
war, remains in fact a subject involv-
ing some difference OF opinion and
great deal of practical difficulty.
The order of the secretary Of war.
issued last July, states that the re-
mains of all officers, enlisted men and
civilian employees of the army, navy
may hereafter die in France, shall be
buried in France until the end of the
war. when the remains shall be
brought back to the United States for
final interment."
This order suggests in itself that 1t
must have been issued without a care
full preliminary consideration of what
it might involve. 1t is known to have
been issued in response to a popular
demand for the return OF the remains
of the slain to this country. This de-
mand was evidenced by letters to the
from wealthy persons who desired to
go in person and bring back the bodies
of their dead from France. It was
found impossible to grant these re-
quests because of the shortage of
transportation, and it was further con-
sidered unjust to allow the wealthy to
bring back their dead, while the poor
were unable to do so. 1t was con-
cluded that the only Just and salts
factory arrangement would be for all
the dead to be brought back at gov
eminent expense.
Since the issuance Of the order,
however, a strong sentiment has
sprung up in favor Of leaving the fall
len Americans where they are. Col
of war, expressing the earnest wish
that the remains of his son Quentin
be not disturbed. has been widely pub
lished in the newspapers. The feel
known to be widely shared and to have
been communicated to the war de-
partment by many other fathers Of
fallen sons.
While the government presumably
stands pledged to bring back the re-
| mains of the American soldiers to this
country, 1t can safely be stated that
for various reasons the growth of this
| sentiment is thing to be desired.
For one thing, there are great prac-
teal difficulties in the way of bringing
back the remains of the slain For
! another, they are not buried here and
| there in France in scattered and I'M
tended graves, as many persons seem
| to imagine.
The grave registration service of the
American Expeditionary Force is a
special service which has been organ
| lied for the purpose of gathering the
American dead and interring them in
cemeteries set aside by the French
government for the purpose. Those
| temporarily buried on or near the field
| of battle are disinterred and removed
| to these cemeteries later. These GEM
eteries may be considered as American
soil, since they have been given by
France to the United States for the
purpose which they serve. Some
American soldiers have been buried
in French and British military ceme-
teries. None, except those listed as
missing. are inferred outside of mill
tary cemeteries, and few of these
| could be identified for return to this
| country in any case.
| Photographs of these military ceme-
teries have reached this country.
| They show long rows of carefully
tended graves, with flowers growing
| about them, and each marked by a
| wooden board or cross Those graves
| which are left undisturbed in France
will be marked by the United States
| government with stones.
Following the issuance of the sec
| retary's order last summer, the grave
| registration service of the quarter
masters corps was organized. A unit
of this service includes about fifty
| men. three of whom are skilled under
takers and embalmers, and seven of
whom are undertakers' apprentices.
There are fifteen such units with the
eXpeditionary force.
AS is shown by the above account
Of its work, this service has been most
successful in identifying the Ameri-
can dead, and in obtaining proper in
terment. Each man in the expedi-
| tionary force wears upon his person
duplicate identification tags giving
his name, rank, company and regi-
ment. If the individual desires. this
tag is further stamped H, c, or P, the
letters standing respectively for He
brew, Catholic and Protestant. A He
brew, if he has thus declared him
self enc, is never buried under a cross
1t was pretty plainly the original
this graves registration service should
embalm the bodies Of the dead, and
bury them in caskets. The inclusion
Of the undertakes in the personnel in
dicates this 1t is also known that
several thousand caskets were shipped
to France for this purpose. 1t was
evidently intended that each fallen
soldier should be embalmed and
buried in a casket so that his dis
interment and removal could be ar
easy matter.
1t was soon found that both en-
balming and the use of caskets were
impracticable. Baskets and coffini
could not be shipped to France be.
cause there was not enough shipping
to bear the soldiers and the food
which were needed to win the war
1 Neither was embalming pra cticable
Not only did limitations of time Otter
make this impossible: but the condi-
ton of the bodies, some of which were
badly mangled and some of which
were not discovered for days aftel
death, added to the difficulty. AL
attempts either to emvbalm the Ameri.
can dead or to bury them in casket:
was presently abandoned, except II
the case of a few who died in hospitals
/. where ample facilities for intermen
happened to be at hand.
Most of the American dead were
paeu 90 hase Hons 49,