Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1920-06-22
WHERE AMERICAN
DEAD ARE LYING
FIELDS OF HONOR IN FRANCE
ARE VERY BEAUTIFUL PLACES,
SAYS RALPH HAYES.
SURESNES CLOSE TO PARIS

BeIIeau Easily Reached by Motor or
Train From the apital-Accommo
dations for Visitors Have Been Ar
ranged at Romagne.
BY JAMES P. HORNADAY.
MISUNDERSTANDING Hayes, assist
ant to the secretary of war. who is
just back from a three months STAY
in France where he went to make II
special study of the various questions
that have arisen in regard to the
American military dead overseas. is
enthusiastic about the permanent
American fields of honor or burial
places that have been chosen in
France. Nesting beneath the mas
sive gray walls Of Fort Valerien and
with the winding valley of the Seine
beneath 1T, SureSnes cemetery is pic
turesquely located in the village of the
same name on the outskirts of Paris
Thanking it on three sides is the beau
tiful Washington boulevard. At either
end of the present reservation, addi-
tiona parcels of land are being So
cured so that. in addition to the en-
largement of the area, there will be
no possibility of commercial encrOach-
ment. More than 1000 bodies are
now at SuresneS and there will be Il
maximum capacity of nearly 5000.
It's location within a few miles of the
capital solves the questions of trans
portatiOn and hotel accommodations.
Sentimentally, it Is q splendid Local
ton for lasting and solemn memorial
OF Franco-American military cO-opera-
ton.
Deep in the consciousness of Amer
leans everywhere are the neighbor-
irg localities of Chateau Thierry AMI
Belleau Wood. These spots are SYM
bOls which serve to dramatize the final
crushing of the German offensive on
the banks of the Marine and the devei-
| Opment of that smashing allied attack
| in midsummer of 1918 which, before
the ending of the year. was to beat
| imnerious armies into bitter submits
| sion.
viii Be Pilgrimage Place.
Americans In France will go as a
| matter of course to the fields near
est Paris where our troops so diStin-
| guiShed themselves. 1t was at Bel
| leau that marine forces. temporarily
| detached from the navy and attached
! to the Second division were so heav-
| lily and hpr0ically engaged. together
| with the other divisional elements, in
| June of 1918 It is particularly fit
ting that the war department should
! retain this burial place. so firmly root
| ed in the affections and so baptized
| by the blood of the army'S sister
| service. The trip from Paris is made
easily in a day by automobile OF
train and ample hotel accommodations
are available in Chateau Thierry, n
| few miles from Belipau. At the GENE.
! terry. which now contains about 2,00C
| bodies, small cottage has been erect
ed by the Red Cross and operated nv
/ two Y. w. G. A. workers A Red
| Cross automobile supplies local trans
portatiOn.
| When, in late Spntember. from all
the region about the Mpusp and the
! forest of ArC0nnp. a khaki host went
| forward to the attack which was tC
end only on tie eve of the armStice
when every roadside sign was labeled
"Nach Sedan" the dominating posi-
tion of the enemy--aS Mont Sec had
been at ST Mihiel-waS the great hulk
| of Mnntfancon. Not far away was the
modest village of ROmagnp SOUS Monr
faucOn. Now. on a gentle slope he
side the gaunt ruins of the little town
1000 crosses mark the places o!
! iearlv half orr dead in the zone OF
+he armies. They lie in ground they
themselves wreSted from the enemy
in the last month Of fighting.
For Visitors to Romagne.
Transportation facilities to Ro
magnp Mr.. Hayes says. are still in.
adequate and there are no commercial
hotel accommodations in the imme
date vicinity Rut a combination OF
army barracks Red Cross equipment
and Y. w. G. A. personnel has result
e1 in the establishment of comfort
able hostess honse. simple and unprp
tcntious. but adequately able TO sun
| ply food and lodging at nominal cost
| 70 parents visiting the cemetery. Two
| Red Cross automobiles are kept there
and meet the trains each dav at Dun
| MeuSe. the nearest railroad sta
ton
The area actually occupied h;
graves n Romagne is approximately
| 259 by 81 meters. The entire tract
| inclusive of the grave plot. originally
| desired for American control mea :
urps 600 by 800 meters In all prob.
ability the size Of the cemetery itself
will not incrpa Sp-thp number ri
bodies removed To America will he
! larger than the number To he moved
into Romagne. Nevertheless Mr.
| Hayes recommends. npnding more def
mite developments rs to the amour.
| and design Of buildings and land
scap'ng involved in the Rnmocne
| project. that the war department
| should not decrease the area intend
| ed tC he included within the rps,,rva
ton hut 81 ould proceed to acquire
II by lease ~ purchase.
Houston Asks Higher Taxes.
A further increase in taxation
is favored by the treasury depart
ment to increase government reve