New-York tribune., 1918-11-18
Roosevelt Will
Make Pilgrimage
ToSon 'sCrave
Quentin s Mother to Accom-
pany Former President;
Body to Remain in France

Colonel Theodore Roosevelt will VISIT
his sons grave in France as soon after
peace as circumstances will permit.
This became known yesterday when
correspondence between the Colonel
and General March, chief of staff. was
made public by the colonel's secretary.
Miss Josephine M. Stricken.
The correspondence was initiated
after it was announced that the War
Department intended to bring home the
bodies of all soldiers who died abroad.
Colonel Roosevelt wrote to ask that
the body of Lieutenant Quentin Roose-
velt be allowed to remain where it was
buried by the foe.
eve have" he wrote, speaking for
himself and Mrs Roosevelt, "always
believed that where the tree falls there
let it lie.'"
Colonel Roosevelt's Letter
The Colonel's letter to General March
is as follows:
"New York, Oct. 25, 1918.
"My dear General March:
"The inclosed clipping states that all
the American dead will be taken home
after the~ware according to. orders re-
ceived by the army chaplains. I do
not know whom to write to in the
matter, SO I merely ask that you turn
this over to whom ever has charge of
it.
"Mrs. Roosevelt and I wish to enter
a most respectful but most emphatic
protest against the proposed course
so far as our son Quentin is concerned.
We have always believed that:
"'Where the tree falls,
"'There let it lie.'
eve know that many good persons
feel entirely different but to us it is
painful and narrowing long after death
to move the poor body from which the
soul has fed. We greatly prefer that
Quentin shall continue to lie on the
spot where he fell in battle and where
tie foeman buried him.
Will Visit Grave
"After the war is over Mrs. Roose-
Welt and intend to visit the grave and
then to have q small stone put up say
ing it is put up by us, but not disturb
ing what has already been erected to
his memory by his friends and Amer
lean comrades in arms.
with apologies for troubling you,
every faithfully yours,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT
To this General March replied:
washington, Oct. 20, 1918.
"My dear Mr. Roosevelt: ~
, II have your letter OF OCTOBER 20
! 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 Philippine in
surrecton and continuing during the
minor troubles in Mexico. The polio,
is to return to the United States tn,
bodies of our soldiers who died OF
foreign soil and is in response to th'
practically unanimous demand on th
part of relatives Of the deceased sol
diers.
"In view, however, of your desir
to have the body of your son Quentin
remain where he fell in France, whicl
/ am entirely in sympathy with, an
sending an order to General Pershini
TO carry out your wishes in the matte
and am giving him general authort
to take the same course of action wit
regard to the body of any other soldic
whose relatives or proper legal rep
resentatiyes desire such course to b
taken every truly yours.
"P. C. MARCH,
General, Chief of Staff"
Colonel Roosevelt had a quiet day i
Roosevelt Hospital yesterday, spendin
most Of his time reading Dr. John +
Richard, his physician. reported i'm
provement in the rheumatic condition
for which the colonel is being treatet