The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1918-08-08
Row After Row OF Crosses in
Sleepy Village Symbolic
Spirit of France.
n AMERICAN DEAD THERE
Woman Srrewlng Flowers Upon the
Graves of Yankee Soldiers Mourns
the "PauVres Gareons"-Amer.
lean Describes Visit to
Cemetery.

New YOrk-An American officer
with Pershing's army in France has
written in letter to his wife this
moving description of visit TO u
French cemetery:
Come with me, then, to this little
village on the banks Of the ---, Il
sleepy little village nestled In the
broad valley through which the river
flows In ordinary times II village of
few thousand inhabitants, II is now
almost empty because most of the peO-
pie who could afford It have fled TO
safer places, tasting for the second
time since 1914 the bitterness of the
war as II affects the peaceful civilian.
1T is late afternoon, warm and sun
ny. We stroll down the main street
together past the old church, once a
handsome structure but now badly
weather worn and almost in ruins.
Further on we pass the ruins of an
old Roman wall which marked the lin
its Of the city In Caesars time. our
footsteps turn us to the right into IA
uttle lane which leads ont to the
country mp the gentle slope and to-
ward the front. After passing under
the railroad bridge the lane branches
OF abruptly 10 the right IL soon dis
appears through a stone gateway and
we find ourselves in the new Gene
terry, called new because the demands
of this terrible four years struggle
laye been so urgent that the Old Gene
terry is overpopulated. 1t wns large
enough for the normal population of
the village, but death has stalked often
through the streets these last four
years and It's victims must have room.
K = little gravel path laid out with
mathematiC straightnesS, runs through
the cemetery. First, there are few
civilian graves hudlled together al the
near end as II they had been crowded
10 make room for the other tenants.
Then on the right row after row OF
graves of French soldiers marked by
huge wooden crosses, and for the most
part covered with those hideous bead
work floral pieces that the French use.
On seeing them, one understands how
Jean Vatican rcCouped his fortunes.
You remember the story, no doubt.
There were graves OF infantry, cavalry
and artillery, and once In while that
of un aviator, but wherever one goes
II is always the infantry that pre-
dominates. Here is the grave of a
.v1s nf a
hammedan, but all bear the well-known
phrase which means 50 much Mort
pour la patrler
Graves Of Americans
LAS / wandered along through row
after row reading the names aud won.
dering who their owners might have
been was startled to see on the 9th
er side Of the path % single row of
graves, at the head Of each a prim
little cross, different somewhat from
those across the way ana painted In
khaki. Then knew who these new
corners were There were - of them,
each bearing a little round identiiicu-
ton tag. ] instnctiyely reached up TO
feel If mine was still around my neck.
These -, among the first 10 give up
their AN for the patrle so far across
the sea, were arranged In perfect
alignment ike platoon IN drill
couldn't help saying to myself
"Well. when the Master Of the
Great Unknown Heroes
Attention 10 Muster" you all Will an
swcr here
They were plain little graves, hid
eous almost in their newuess and nary
sod to cover them. But had they
been forgotteu1 No, indeed for on
each lay little bunch Of flowers put
there by the kind hands Of the women
OF the village. These people are 30
kind So thoughtful. They at least
will never forget. Even us ! stood
there thinking about all these things a
woman came ny, very poor she seemed
90 be- yet she carried huge basket
filed with flowers, which she carefully
distributed all along the row AS She
came up to me ! heard her say, al
most to herself and thinking probably
that did not understand: