Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-13
WHERE SAMM|ES
WILL Be BURIED
French Government Sets Aside
Plot and Formally Dedicates
Resting Place.
HIGH TRIBUTE TO AMERICANS
No Worthier Fate Than to Be
Gathered to Bosom
Of France.

| SOMEWHERE N FRANCE. January
Zone OF the cemeteries set aside by
! the French authorities as "A burial place
fer tho American dead in France was
dedicated a few days ago by Colonel
John :. Sewell. of the Seventeenth Rail-
LAY Engineers, in an address in which
hc declared that mo worthicr fate
could como to soldier fighting in
just cause than TO be gathered with
her own CONS to the bosom of France"
1T il our duty and our privilege"
said Colonel Seweu. here TO dedicate
this plot Of ground as n last resting
t" Francc-and some who will come to
Francc-to return no more TO our ma
,'vc land
This is not an ordinary occasion.
1t is customary for people TO provide
decent resting places for their dead.
but chat We do here to-day is more.
than that: ii Is Il part of the pledge
~ great people 10 a great cause.
Here. by our own act. our country con-
socrates herself and us, and all OF ou.'
sons TO IN" protection of free and lib
cral government and decent iriterni-
! tonal dealings against the most brutal
and arrogant government and the most
/ indecent nation that has ever existed.
! Here, also. the act Of dedication occurs
after the decisive battle OF this war.
for II has really been won by the cons
! o. France, at the Marine and at Ncrdun.
But much remains to do: while y
had not tho privilege of sharing In
what has gone before. we know AZ
We stand here to-day. that our coun-
| try and We. her sons. are pledged to
our full share in what is yet to come.
/ In the compile of motives which is
evidenced by our presence here to-day,
what IS the dominant one. the one
l without which we would not be here?
/ Undoubtedly ii is the firm conviction
/ OF the people Of the United States that
] the real issue in this war is the whole
question OF the right OF peoples to live
/ under conditions that make life worth
J while: that the ruling classes of Ger
many have made Of themselves and
! their nation horrible Frankenstcin
Il soulless monster. dedicated to tho
( worship of brute force, devoid of all
sense Of justice and decency in inter
national relations, committing the
basest and most infamous acts in the
name Of national necessity and justi-
tying these acts by blasphemous use
OF the name of the Most High.
INTERNATIONAL THUG
RUNNING AMUCII IN WORLD
our people feel that there is an
international thug grown powerful!
through devious ways, running amucK
among the decent nations of the world
and attempting nothing less thar 10
strangla them all
Ihder such conditions we cannot
stand aside. AS r good citizen OF the
community or nations, we must do our
part to reduce this malefactor To order.
IL matters not that by doing our part
now we possibly save ourselves from
greater exertions in the future The
dominant motive that has caused our
country TO send us here is the con-
Hiction that she nd We must not shrink
from The duty that lies before us. and
mat duty is first TO the whole com
munitE OF decent peoples and only sec
ondiy To ourselves.
I'm full knowledge o. the high nrr-
pose that sends US here, as a token that
we stand ready to pay the price that
our dnty may demand, we here dcdi-
cate this plot of ground to these who
must, and will. make the supreme sacri
lice. II is Il solemn and serious du,y
put not ono to make the heart bcoyv
nor the soul bitter. Rather do we re-
ooice that in such a cause. we are
privileged To risk ourselves and all
that we are.
for those Of us who may make the
supreme sacrifice is. therefore. provided
mere maj abode worthy Of the cause
III "hich we are engaged.
10 soldier fighting in a just cause
no "or'hler fate can come than to he
80" win her own sons 10 the
poSom OF France-France TO WHOM, the
world owes so much. ana who no.
Peatedly shown the wor: d that nation
ana people willing to die for causa
can never really die"