The New York herald., 1921-07-24

CpecioI Cable to THE New YORK HERALD
Copyright, 1891, BY The New YORK HERALD
New York Herald Bureau,
Paris, July 23.
Although Americas problem Of iden-
tifying, classifying and transferring
her soldier dead seemed tremendous
undertaking at first glance. 1T is SIM
ple compared with the vast task which
confronted the French Government.
While the American graves work IN
wolves 1000 dead, the French already
have completed the removal to homes
or national cemeteries OF more tnan
100000 of their heroes.
Some idea of the magnitude or
Frances effort in this respect Is oo-
tained by a study of their methods.
First, any family wishing to inter
their loved ones in the village or town
cemetery instead of in the army's
burial ground may do so. This costs
them nothing, the Government even
having the transportation charges
Only 10000 have up to this time been
removed at the expense Of the families
compared with the Governments 2oo,-
600 permits, of which 10000 re-burlals
already have been effected at the
Governments expense.
Field Buria1s Traced.
Three hundred and ninety thousand
prencb dead were buried in open fields
as the battles progressed. and OF these
more than 230, 900 have been identifled
and taken to concentration cemeteries.
To facilitate such removals France mas
been divided into sixty-eight patue
areas which are being cleared In turn.
often nothing is left to show where
a soldier was buried except broken
stump of hastily erected cross. put
the Identification service Is so olngent
that hundreds of these graves nave
been re-opened and the victims identi-
ga nv letters found In their pockets, by
identity disks or by tracing their regi.
,nent by means of tunic buttons ana
service gallons. 80
when enough bodies have been
grouped for transfer to a central cene-
ferv the relatives are advised by teie-
rraph of the date of reburiai, put II
they are unable to attend representa-
live of the Soldiers Welfare organiza-
tion attends in their behalf and tnen
writes a description OF the ceren'onns' @
and sends this together with the ioca-
tion of the grave and photograph 70
tha relatives. The bodies are carried
a. snecial trains bearing the Tricoior
tied with Grape. AS wagons car-yNns
threa to four hundred of those who paio
xha .,,nreme sacrifice pass through tne
many hamlets and busy towns the deep
est sympathy and respect is SHOWN .he,n
NV the population. Men cease thelr
Sabors to pay a dnal salute 10 tneir
comrades and the woman tnoush uiy
In, rs-fT1o
sTeir loved ones who likewise gave tneir
sIves for France.
German Dead Cared For.
Not the least interesting phase OF TINS
.,,arl is the grouping of the graves OF
s,,a Gerrnan dead. Four hundred anu
ssventy-fivs thousand Germans fell on
FRANCES soil, and their bodies are given
ehe same attention accorded the French
dead. France thus practising her creoo'
ssIdberte, F'raternite. Egalite Inc Ger
man graves are being opened as fast as
found and the bodies taken to speclai
Cod's acres. where they are reinterred
with all ths honors due fallen enemy.
when requested the bodies are shipped
IN Germany, the only proviso ON the
mart of the French Government being
that the wooden coffin must be ined
with metal, the Government even pay
ing the transportation costs as far as
the French frontier. where the bodies
usually are met by relatives.
So far, however, there has been little
success in getting the bodies of French
eoldiers who are buried in Germany.
although there are only 5000. chiefly
victims of German prison camps and
members of detachments which served
with the Russian army. Berlin still
maintains that the transportation facili-
ties In Germany are so disrupted that 1t
is impossible to carry out pledges OF
this character for at least another six
months.