New-York tribune., 1920-05-31
Flags Placed ON
Graves of More Than
20, 900 Soldiers by Men,
Women and Children
Poils1s Are Guards
Of Honori i'm France
Legion, Headed by Wal
lace, Decorates Mounds
in 497 Burying Places

PARIS, May 30.-America' s war dead
in Europe were eulogized and their
graves in all parts of France were
decorated to-day, the second Memorial
Day since the close of the great strug-
gle. American flags foated over the
resting places OF more than 10000 SOL
diers, and. Allied organizations joined
the Americans in France in services in
their memory, while throughout the
republic detachments Of horizon blue
clad poilus acted as guards Of honor
at the cemeteries where lie those who
fought beside them on the field OF
battle
The American Legion, with the army
and navy patriotic societies, CO.
operated with the newly formed Me
mortal Day committee headed by Am
bassador Wallace to decorate the little
mounds Of 497 burying places scattered
along the battlefront from the Chan
mel to Switzerland and from the Rhine
to the Atlantic
There were 125 places where single
American service man was buried, but
Memorial Day services We're conducted
over each of these lone graves, some
of which are in southern Italy and
others in Spain. The French and rep
resentatives of other Of the Allies took
part in the ceremonies virtually every
where, while Marshal Petain, the
French commander in chief, and other
men of prominence from the French
army ard navy and civil life spoke at
the cemeteries.
Women Decorate Graves
In some places the French women Of
the locality made the day almost one
of their own, bringing tokens Of their
remembrance to place on the graves
Of the youths who fought beside their
boys IN the dark days Of two years
ago In all the Catholic churches IN
Paris, in the Jewish synagogues and
in the American church there were
religious observances Of America day
OF tribute TO her dead, and in the prov
inces numberless local ceremonies
were organized by the parish priests or
the population generally
IN Alsace q children's chorus marched
from one burying ground to another to
sing beside the graves of fallen Amer
leans while their mothers and sisters
with dead of their own TO mourn, place
wild flowers or grass wreaths on the
mounds beneath which laS the Amer
can dead
For the American army of occupation
Major General Henry I. Allen spoke at
the great military cemetery in Ro-
magne-S Sous Montfaucon, where more
han 21 600 Americans are buried, and
told of the great battle in which fell
most of those to whom he did honor
Marshal Petain, standing on tn
slopes Of Mount NalerXien, the last
stronghold of the French during the
siege of Paris in 1870 told ten thousand
persons assembled in the little ceme-
terry of Suresnes OF the gratitude Of
France for the sacrifices made by the
sons Of America in the cause Of France
on her soil during the great war Wo-
men in black pro. dominated in the as
hue frightened the scene and the hori-
Zon blue Of the soldiers of France was
everywhere in evidence.
Must Preserve the Peace Won
Long before the hour set for the sew
ices crowds began ascending tho mount
under q burning sun, although near by
were signs of threatening storm. I'M
nledjately upon the arrival Of Marshal
Petain, who took his place beside Hugh
c. Wallace, the american Ambassador
with the Earl Of Derby, the British
Ambassador, on Mr Wallace's lef,, the
ceremony began, Ambassador Wallace
delivering the first address.
$50 long as the peace of the world is
challenged by the hideous head of an
archy, which must be crushed without
consideration or counting the cost" the
ambassador declared, "the work the
hero dead began is incontplet, The
war was fought to establish lasting
peace for mankind. We must preserve
the peace the heroes won.'
Mr. Wallace described the meaning
of Memorial Day in America and how
it was observed by visits to the GENE
teries to decorate the graves Of the
dead soldiers, and continued:
"To-day we extend this pious pill
grimage to France, for here also sleep
our soldier dead They came two mil
lion strong to strike for civiizat on
with their gallant comrades Of France
and England. They fought and con
quered, but thousands fell, and they lie
before us in this sacred earth.
Deeds Are Beyond Praise
Greater honor can come to no man
than to die fighting valiantly for the
right. Greater glory rests with no ma
tion than with those nations which
Continued on page seven)
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