Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-12
u. S. Dead In France
Is Unsettled Problem
Nv Frederic J. Haskin

their bones be allowed to remain perma-
nently 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 subject involving some
difference of opinion and great deal OF
practical difficulty.
The order of the Secretary Of War,
issued last July, states that 'the remains
of All officers, enlisted men and civilian
employees of the Army, Navy and Marine
Corps, who have died or 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 careful pre-
liminary consideration of what 1T might
involve II is known TO have been issued
in response to n popular demand for the
return of the remains of the slam to this
country. This demand was evidenced by
letters 10 the War Department. Many
OF them were from wealthy persons VINO
desired to go IN person and bring back the
bodies OF their dead from France. 1T was
found impossible to grant these requests
because of the shortage of transportation,
allow. the wealthy To bring back their
dead while the poor were unable to do 50.
It was concluded that the only just and
satisfactory arrangement would be for all
the dead to be brought back at govern
ment expense.
WANT THEM LEFT THERE.
Since the issuance of the order, how
ever. strong sentiment has sprung up
fax of ina. hf. fafie
where they are Col. Roosevelts letter tn
the Secretary of War, expressing the
earnest wish that the remains of his son.
Quentin, be not disturbed, has been widely
published in the newspapers. The feeling
expressed by Col Roosevelt IS known to
be widely shared and to have been com
municated To the War Department by
many other fathers Of fallen sons.
While the government presumably
stands pledged 10 bring back the remains
OF the American soldiers to this country,
II can safely he stated that for various
reasons the growth Of this sentiment Is
thing to be desired
Por one taIng. there arc gseat practical
diff 'tilities in the way IF yrntlng back
mains Of the SLAIN For another, they
are not buried here and there in France in
scattered and untcnded graves, NJ many
persons seem TO imagine.
The Grave Registration Service Of the
American Expeditionary Force is a special
service which has been organized Tor the
purpose Of gathering the American dead
and nterring them in cemeteries set aside
J by the French government Tor the pllr-
pose Those temporarily buried on or near
| the field 81 battle are dIsinterred and re-
moved - these cemeteries later. These
i cemeteries may be considered IS American
| soil, since they have been gwen by France
! 10 the [ nlted States for the purpose which
/ they serve.
Some American soldiers have been
buried in Frcneh and British military
cemeteries. None except those listed a.
missing are Inferred outside of military
! cerneteries, and few OF these could be
identified for return to this country in any
case
Photographs of these military ceme-
! terles have reached this country. They
i show long rows Of carefully tended graves,
with flowers growing about them, and each
| marked hv a wooden board or cross. j hose
graves which are left undisturbed III
France will be marked by the United
States government With stones.
roRN REGISTRATION SERVICE
Following the ISSUANCE II the oeere-
tary 5 order las; summer, the Grave Regis
tration Service of the Quarterulaoter ;
Corps was organized 4 init Of this
service includes about 10 '.en. three Of
whom are skilled Gndertakers and en-
halners, and seven oi whom are under
takers apprentice. There are ID such
units with the ENpedltionarv Force.
As Is shown oN the ABOVE account OF It's
work. this service has been most success
fli III identifying the American dead. and
IN obtaining proper mterment. kach inan
IN the ExpedItionarN Force wears upon
his person duplicate Identification tags
giving his name. ranh. company and regi-
ment Ii the Individual desires, tins tag
is further stamped IL, { or 7. the letters
standing respectively for Hebrew Catho-
lie and Protestant A Hebrew If he has
thus declared himself one, is never buried
under crosS.
II was pretty plainly the original IN
tcntlon of the " ar Department that IA sg
Graves Registration service should EN-
| balm the bodies of the dead, and bury
them iii caskets The inclusion ot this
uudertakers IN the personnel Indicates
this Il Is also known that several thou
sand Baskets were shipped to France tol
tins purpose 1t Was evidently intended
that each fallen soldier should be EN-
balned and buried in 4 eashet 50 that hl'
disinterment and removal would be Al
easy matter.
1t was soon found that both tmbalming
and the use of caskets were lmpractlcable
Caskcts and cottlns could not be shlppeC
Il France because there Was not enough
shipping To bear the soldiers and the fooC
which were needed 70 win the war, Neithe
WAS embalmIng practicable Not only dis
limitations OF time often make tins i'm
possible but the condition of the bodies
some OF which we're badly mangled ans
SOME oi which were not discovered fo
days after death added to the difficulty
All attempt either TO embaln the Amen
can dead or To bury them in caskets wa
presently abandoned. except III the cas-
ii u few who died III hospitals when
ample facilities Tor intcrmcnt happened {.
he Al hand
. 5000 HAVE FAAItN
Alusj ot the American dead wen burles
as soldiers have long been buried
wrapped IN their blankets and tents |
Is estimated that thet total number o
. Americans who we're killed or died q
wounds IN France Is in the nclghborhoo,
of 10000
The task which the government Uoul,
face then, II Ii brought all ot thr dra,
back to American soil. would be Tn, dis
interment If this number of bodies, burie,
without cIuhululing or caskcts, then
| placement IN hernetlcally sealed cashcts
| transportation across the ocean, and dis
/ | frlhutlou 10 All narts of the nlted States