New-York tribune., 1920-06-15
May 3Oth in France
HosU Aix-les-Boins Paid Trh
ute to Our Dead
To the Editor Of The Tribune

here have heard much about t,,n
American soldiers. The memorv -.
those jolly boys is dear to every nativ,
AiX-les- -Bains was the first place chose,
for leave area"
However, the soldiers who ,.
thousands of them, were not all wan
and jolly. The cemetery holds sf,r
nine of them; tall white crosses bo..
their names, wreaths hang unon tbos.
crosses; fresh flowers can be s.os
eny day upon the graves. To.a...
Memorial Day, was kept here as il i
at home. From the Place de la Ma;r,o
started long train of cavalry fol
lowed by the authorities of the .ou,.
then came the Boy Scouts-three b;s
boys carried the French flag, the A,p
flag and the American flag. They woro
followed by several military and civil
associations, each headed by its banna~
Till all these had passed Thrones
the cemetery gates no enc was allou,es
IN. The crowd was orderly. listened
with interest to the many stories .old
by my neighbors. One woman had in.
sisted her grandchild should be cslloa
Daisy" because the boy who had
stayed at her house said that was tho
name of his sweetheart in Americ,
Another woman wept while relating
how she comes every week to lay few
flowers on the grave of one soldier
whom she knew well because he had
tainted on her doorstep just before
going to the hospital, where she went
to see him TIL he died. And MANY
other stories which know the mothers
of those dead boys would like to hear
But now the crowd follows the
parade. Thanks to the little Amer.
lean flag pinned to my coat, am al
lowed to get near the speakers; they
stand on the pedestal Of tall cross
erected in an open place in about the
middle of the cemetery.
The first speaker Is Monsignor Ia
Marie. Among other things he SAYS;
1--WE French people are prone to ae-
cuse ourselves of being light hearted
forgetful, but never shall we forget
to remember what May 80 means to
the Americans; and the United States
soldiers buried here shall ever be-
shown the same honors as if they were
in their own land"
The next speaker was physician
who had had much to do with our boys
and is in some degree the ropreson.
tative of France in affairs pertaining
| to and regarding United States SOL
diers. He spoke of Lafayette and
/ Rochambeau, who had recognized and
fought for the freedom Of young
America. Just so had the present day
Americans come over here to fight for
and make sure the freedom Of their
sister republic. Finally an American
made a short address, IF tAe fifty
nine who lie buried here could SPEAK
they would say: Thank you. aut you
are doing more than we deserve, >"
was one of the things he SAID.
After each speech the band plays an
American tune. The French priest,
as we'll as the French pastor, are pres
cnt. but neither speaks.
Then the parade forms again. going
to the place where lie the American
dead. Magnificent wreaths, so big that.
it takes two men to carry each, are
laid upon the graves; some bear H..
dividual cards, two are tied with broad
ribbons. On which is inscribed the
legend: ITO our comrades in arms"
one in French, the other in English.
Half a dozen drummer boys and one
bugler salute the American flag as il.
passes by. From the crowd many
women step, up, laying some flowers
upon the graves. One very old woman
.catters roses on one grave. Weeping
all the while. she says: Mon rauvre
petit, il etat 81 gentil." "Ny poor
youngster, he was so nice")
And as I SEQ the reverence paid to
our dead say TO myself: Lot thom
stay where they are; i seems almost
irreVerent to remove them.
The expense Of this ceremony was
borne partly By the town Of Aix-les-
Bains, partly by donations from Amer
leans sojourning here, and also by a
small gift directly from America. 'Fhe
200 horsemen coming from Chambery
were entertained by the town.
hope this account may be read by
those most Interested, the relatives
of the dead II. II. D.
Aix-les-Bains, France. May 80, 1920