Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1920-04-13
To BRING BODIES
FROM WAR ZONE
THREE PROJECTS OF REMOVAL
ARE APPROVED BY THE SEC
RETARY OF WAR.
WHERE TO PLACE PERSHlNG?

| WHERE TO PLACE PERSHING?
Commander of Oversee Forces Willing
Away His Time Making Inspections
of the Postwar Nations Unable
to Pay Money Borrowed of U. S.
| Washington.-The war department
has finally found itself able to give
congress some definite information rel
1 alive to the disposal and protection of
the remains of American soldiers who
| died in France. Three separate prof.
ects of removal have been approved by
| the secretary of war The first of
| these involves removals from all. coun-
| tries outside of France, and orders
have been issued by the secretary Of
war Immediately to undertake this
work Under this order removals have
| been made from Siberia. One hun
dred and eleven bodies have thus far
| been removed from the Archangel DIS
| trict in north Russia. This work has
been temporarily suspended because of
disturbances in that country. About
100 bodies still remain in north Rus
STA, and the secretary of war expresses
the view that probably nothing can be
done toward their removal for a peri
cd of one year
The bodies buried in Germany are
to be brought home at once In Great
Britain there are 81 places in which
our dead are buried The bodies bur-
led in these places are to be brought
home this summer. In Italy oil bod
les have been concentrated in one
place and the matter of their transfer
to the States will, the secretary of
war says, be easily effected.
May Return All This Summer.
The second project of removal for
which authority has been obtained in
wolves the branch zone of the interior,
including all the base and intermedi-
ate sections of the battle area. 1t was
at first intended to begin work of re-
moval at Paris, but the congestion of
French railways has been such that
it has thus far been impossible to OBJ
tain necessary transportation permits.
However, the war department believes
that everything planned under this
project can be accomplished during
this coming summer.
1t is the third project in which so
| many thousands. of persons in the
United States are interested. That
project will become operative as soon
| as the government of France agrees
| to recommendations relative to evac-
uatiOn from the zone of the armies.
The secretary of war tells congress
| that so far as the American govern
ment IS concerned nothing can be done
relative to this phase of the question
until conclusions have been reached
| by the French government itself. 1t is
confidently believed however, that it
| is only question of time until the
French government will grant in full
| the request made by the United States,
| the request for permission to bring
| home all bodies buried in the war area.
The small force of the graves reg
| istration service left in France after
| the work of rehabilitation has been
| increased as a first step toward bring
| ing back the bodies. Motor transpor-
| tation has also been secured. SO, gen
orally speaking, the war department -
prepared to begin the work of evacua.
ton IN a wholesale way as soon as
France agrees to it. The responses. tt.
the letter of inquiry which the depart
ment sent out some months ago to the
next of kin are now practically all in.
and they indicate that 20 per cent OF
| the dead are to be returned to their
homes, about $4,000 in all, and that
about 10000 or $4,000 will remain per
manently buried abroad.
Expense Will Be Small.
An estimate of the probable cost o.
| the third project the secretary of war
says, can be only tentative at this time
but he believes that it is likely to in
volve a minimum expense of $500 iii
| each case. The secretary of war be-
lieves, so he says. that a minimum ap'
preparation of $30,000000 will be re-
The sundry civil bill for the current
year contains an appropriation of SS,'
| 451 900 for the removal of bodies. ana
the secretary has requested that tbs
amount appropriated in the sundry
civil bill for the year which will be-
gin July 1, be S22,0O0,00O.
In preparation for the carrying OUT
| of the removal projects three zones
have been created in Europe, the zone
| of Great Britain with headquarters in
| London, the zone of mid-Europe com,
pr.sing all the continental countries
| outside of France and having head
| quarters at Cohen, and the zone OF
| France The graves registration Serv-
| ice which is to carry out the removal
projects has recently been made new
| division in the Quartermaster generals
! Office A large force of clerks i'm that
division is now engaged in the work
| of reconciling conflicting reports. com
| pleting identifications which have hith-
erto been in doubt, and working out
from the mass of diverse and even
conflicting requests from relatives the
necessary data upon which the return
| of bodies may be effected.
The nearest of kin naturally want 20
| know how soon they may expect ship
ment from France. On this point the
war department responds that it can
not say.
Problems Unsolved.
after having won a great war wha-
shall We do with our generals who ac-
PONDER MISAPPLEp.