Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1920-12-16

ten TO the next OF kin in case the
relatives are unable to attend the serv-
ices.
It win probably be year or longer
before the task Of bringing back the
dead is finished. The incoming con-
gress VIII be called on to make an
other appropriation for the transfer
Of bodies. In some instances relatives
who originally expressed a wish to
have bodies brought back have decid-
ed that it is best that the permanent
resting place shall be France, but the
original estimate that 20 per cent Of
the fallen would be brought back sim
holds.
The secretary Of war has approved
the action Of the war memorials coun-
ell with reference to the number OF
permanent cemeteries to be estab-
lished overseas for the soldier dead.
There will be but four permanent
cemeteries on the continent Of Eu-
rope at Suresnes on the outskirts Of
Paris, Romagne in the Argonne region,
Belleau Wood, where our soldiers and
marines made common history, and at
Bony in the department Of the Aisne,
which shall be known as ISLANDERS
Field" There win also be estab-
lished one permanent cemetery near
London for those who died in Great
Britain while en- route to France.
I Regulations for the Cemeteries.
In these cemeteries there will be
no grouping of bodies on the basis Of
military commission or rank and there
will be no variation in the government
headstones recently approved for
graves of our dead, save in the indi-
vidual inscriptions now authorized by
statute and regulations, or necessary
to indicate service, in the army, navy,
or marine corps; except that there
may may be placed within the rosette
at the head of each stone an emblem
Of religious faith to differentiate the
Christian from the Jewish dead, such
as the cross or the "star of David"
No memorial will be permitted in
the permanent American military GEM
eteries, unless the designs are first
approved by the secretary of war and
individuals and organizations are adj
vised not to solicit or accept contribu-
tons for such memorials without first
having such approval. This course
was taken in order to avoid duplica-
ton and lack of symmetry, and to
utilize the best artistic advice avail
able.
Rivers and Harbors Congress.
Following the preliminary an
nOuncement sent out a month ago,
the official call for the sixteenth
convention of the national rivers and
harbOrs congress has been issued. The
meeting will take place here Deem
Der 8, 9 and 10. While the entire pro-
gram has not been announced, it is
evident that there will be no lack Of
interesting addresses and that an I'M
usual number of important questions
will be presented for discussion. De-
cided differences Of opinion exist on
certain subjects and some live, snap
by debates may be expected.
Everybody knows that waterways
are very much less used in the United
States than they are in Europe. Maj.
Gen. Lansing II. Beach, chief of en-
gineers, q. s. army, has some very
positive views as to the reasons why
this is so, and the things that must
be done before the situation can be
changed. The national rivers and har-
bors congress took the lead in Sc
curing the important provisions for the
benefit of waterways and water trans
portation which are included i'm the
transportation act. Under one of these
provisions there has been created the
division of inland and coastwise water.
ways service, of which Brig. Gen. w.
D. Conner is chief. Among other
things this division has charge of the
government barge lines on the Mis-
sissippl and Warrior rivers and the
New York state canals.
"Tunnel" Boats in Experiment
1t is no secret that most old-time
steamboatmen think the towboats
which have been built for use on these
barge lines, all Of which are Of the
tunnel type. viii prove to be disas-
trous failures. Some of the new tow
DOaIS are now III use ana report
on their performance is awaited with
much interest. General Connor's adj
dress win be illustrated with moving
pictures. All active workers for the
Improvement of waterways are famili-
ar with the methods followed for
thirty years or more in the formula
tion Of rivers and harbors bills, but
mighty few of them have any idea how
1t is to be done in the future. Just
before the close of the last session
the house passed a resolution which
puts all power to frame appropriation
bills into the hands of a single COM
mittee. which is to be composed Of
thIrty-five members.
There is still to be rivers and har-
bors committee in the house of repre-
sentatives, although it viii not frame
rivers and harbors bills Representa-
tive s. Wallace Dempsey, whose home
is at Lockport, N. r. has been a mem
hnr oF the committee for several