The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1919-09-04

u VI 1HS ptNbNh u
the conditions which will attend the
return of the bodies, conditions which,
were they better known, would have
a deciding influence on the question
in the minds of relatives as to whether
or not il would be best for the bodies
to remain permanently inferred Ia
France.
The Graves Registrating Service Of
the United States army is now and
has been for some time engaged in
disinterring, identifying, and collecting
into cemeteries, preparatory to re-
turn to the United States, the bodies
which, through the necessities of war,
were temporarily inferred where they
fell. This work which has been Of
considerable magnitude, involving the
removal Of bodies from many isolated
and scattered places on the battle.
fields, has now reached an advanced
stage. Before the next step, the
actual return of the bodies to the
consent of the French government
must be obtained. There are approx
ma:c!y 4,5o0, eco bodies inferred In
France as a result of the war. The
attitude of the French government is
against the removal of any Of these.
A proposed law is under considera-
ton by the French Parliament, which,
il passed, would, prohibit such removal
for a period of three years from Janu-
airy l, 1919. Pending the enactment
of the proposed law the matter is be-
ing regulated by ministerial action Of
the French government, along the
same lines as the proposed law itself.
The French government feels that it
American government greater privi-
leges in this respect than it accords
to it's own people. The following are,
perhaps, some of the reasons which
may have entered into the consider
alton of this matter:
(a) France was a nation in mourn
ing for the four years of the war. 70
permit the removal of the French
dead by relatives, with consequent
funerals and renewed mourning would
only add to the long period of national
depression and sorrow at a time when
the opposite should prevail in order TO
undertake the tremendous work of re-
construction.
(b) The removal and transfer of
large numbers of bodies might be pro-
ductive of epidemics and pestilence.
Negotiations with the French gov
eminent are now in progress with the
view to securing a modification or
waiver of present ministerial prohi-
bition, and of the proposed law itself,
if passed, so that the American dead
may be returned to the United States
before the expiration of the three-year
period. Future action in regard to the
removal of such dead will depend upon
the extent to which the French gov
eminent will consent to modify it's
ministerial decision and the provisions
of the proposed law.
1t should be remembered that dur
ing the continuance of hostilities, it
was nearly always impossible to en-
balm our dead, or ever to provide
caskets for their burial. In every
case of refinement, however, a coffin
was provided. Every effort has been
made in the removal operations TO
secure definite and positive identif-
cation and, to a large extent, this eff
fort has been successful. There still
remain, of course, some who suffered
from the destructiveness of modern
engines of war too much to make this
possible. The lapse of time, too, has
affected the situation by rendering it
undesirable that caskets on their ar
rival in this country should be opened.
For the bodies that are to remain
permanently in France the United
States government will undoubtedly
provide cemeteries of American
Fields of Honor" They will be main
tanned and cared for always by the
American government. The French
government has considerably offered
to cede several tracts of land for this
purpose. One of them, at Romagne-
sous-Montfaucon. is in the heart of
the Meuse Argonne battlefield. An
other is "a the City Of Paris, upon
the slopes of Mont Valerien, overlook
ing the pretty town of %Sureness, the
valley of the Seine, and the Bots de
B%oulogne. No more beautiful site
could be imagined. The municipality
of Paris has already constructed a
splendid highway called Boulevard
Washington, connecting the latter
cemetery with the French capital.
If we follow the example of our
Allies no private monuments will be
permitted to be erected over the
graves and thus all discrimination will
be avoided. Where every one did so
well in life. there should be no dis
tinction in death. On the contrary.
standard Or uniform headstones will
be provided at the pablo expense. as
in our national cemeteries. differing
only in the inscriptions and symbols
of religious faith, and possibly grouped
in accordance Herewith. Perhaps ma
tional monuments may be erected, as