The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1919-07-31
BY EDWARD 3. CLARK.

prOpriate xJW,OOO to establish IN
France an American national Gene
terry in which shall be buried the fall
en- soldiers Of the American expedition
airy forces. The measure already has
In the house.
In the bill is n provision for the ap-
polntment OF three senators and three
representatives to plan and carry out
the terms OF the measure. II Is not
taken for granted by the friends OF
the project that these members Of
congress actually will wlect the place
for the national cemetery nor under
take to plan Its arrangement.
II has been suggested that the only
thing TO do Is TO send to France some
American expert who combines engi-
neering ability with a sense OF land
scape beauty In order that the Gene
terry shall be entirely worthy of the
purpose to which IL il to be dedicated.
As time goes on IL becomes increas-
ingly evident that the bodies Of the
majority Of our dead Ia France will
remain there. hallowing the soil on
which they gave up their lives for the
cause Of liberty. II was believed at
the outset that the United States gov
eminent would bring back TO this
country the remains Of all its heroes.
This thought was based on the evident
desire Of most Of the families of the
dead th9t such course should be pur-
sued. A change has come over the sit
uation and recently there have been
strong limitations that American ia
brothers feel II Is more fitting that
their dead kin shall continue to rest
where they made the heroic sacrifice.
RooseveIts Led the Way.
Undoubtedly the example set by for
mer President and Mrs. Roosevelt in
the case of their son Quentin. had
much TO do with the change Of Ameri-
can opinion upon this subject. Col
onel Roosevelt before he died Joined
with his wife In a statement that he
thought II highly fitting that his son
who went to his death In battle should
rest the place of his endeavor. I'm
mediately following this expression Of
sentiment In the case there was q
marked falling Off In the requests
from Americans that the bodies OF
their dead should be brought back to
the United States. In many letters
which were received at that time, the
Roosevelt sentiment was echoed.
An appealing plan has been suggest
ell for the great American cemetery In
France, and already II has been pro-
posed to members OF congress from
various sections OF the country, and
all OF them have given II approval.
The suggestion comes from Capt.
Mark Daniels OF the engineer corps,
who. by profession is a landscape en-
gineer. Captain Daniels was the
landscape engineer Of the Yosemite
national park and general superin-
tendent and landscape engineer Of the
United States national parks In
1916.
Beautiful idea Of Capt Daniels.
IL is believed by this army officer
that study should be made OF the
various sections of the embattled parts
OF France and that some place beside
a river where the soil is responsive
should be chosen for the American ma.
tional cemetery. The thought which
has appealed most strongly to men,
bers OF congress, and TO others who
know OF II, Is that there should be
planted In the cemetery trees from ev-
cry state In the Union, and that Amer
lean wild flowers should be transplant
ed to blossom on and among the graves
OF the valiant.
II this plan were to be carried out, |
the dead OF all the states would lie, |
as one might say. In home surround |
ings. II is possible TO grow In France |
many Of the trees which find root and |
life In the various states of the Union. |
The willows, the naples. the pines, |
the magnollas, the sequolas, and scores
of other American trees will find the |
soil OF France hospitable.
The subject has been studied already
and II is known that so far as the
tree and the wild flower growths are
II is entirely feasible. The
sentiment which attaches TO the plan
is strong.
In France in 1918 and again in 1918,
gathered on the battlefields wild flow
ers which l could not tell from those
Of the same general species which grow
In the United States. The red clover
was slightly different, but in the dais-
les and the buttercups | could distin-
guish few variations. Trees OF the
same families. but perhaps OF not ex-
actly the same species as those which
grow In the United States, are album
liant In France. The white birches,
the oaks. and other trees with which
Americans are familiar, grow there
strong and beautiful. All these trees
are closely akin 10 the American spe-
ries. and with the soil OF France hos
pltable as II is, tree men say that our
own growths will take kindly TO the