New-York tribune., 1921-05-31
Fatlaerless Of
France Bedeclx
A. IL. Y. Graves
Highest Military and Civic
Honors Paid 90 Arneri.
can Dead; Principal Ger
emony Is Held Near Paris
Wallace Makes Address
Pesain Echoes His Wish
That Bodies of Heroes
Might Not Be Removed

! SURESNES, France, May 80 CIV the
associated Prcssl Full military 2nd
civic honors were paid TO .he Ameri.
can heroes who died for thei- country
to-day throughout France by their fer.
mer brothers in arms, the soldiers of
France, government officials, American
tIench and other Allied veteran and
! patriotic organizations and French or
/ phans. The principal ceremony oc-
Cured in the American military GENE
| terry here in the hills overleokinr Paris
| from the west.
Before American and French troops
drawn up in line in front of the speak.
| ers' stand and hundreds of Americans
and French of all walks OF life who
overtiowed the cemetery nesting snug.
| ~ on the hillside and on to the hills
beyond Hugh C. Wallace, the Ameri-
can Ambassador, and Major General
Henry I. Allen, commander of the
american forces on the Rhine. paid
Amerlca's homage, while Marshal Pc
tam and two French Deputies spoke fog
| the army and government 9f France.
Ambassador Wsllace struck a respon.
sive chord when he said:
Gould have my way, these graves
would never be disturbed"
petain Echoes Sentiment
Marshal Petain, standing among his
soldiers before the rostrum on which
Nine. Millerand, wife of the French
president, stood with Ambassador and
MRS. Wallace, echoed the American
Ambassadors expression of infinite re-
| gret that France could not always care
for all these Americans who fell on her
soil.
I'VE come always to the graves Of
| cur soldier dead" said Ambassador
Wallace, with feelings Of reverence
and devotion, for the gratitude which
inspires us can be expressed in no
other way than in the sentence: All
| that man has will he give for his
llte.' Yet these men gave life itself
for home and country. Unselhshness
ground in which they lie.
Here, as nowhere else, we realize
the meaning Of the cross. Where men
have died for men we mark each grave
with sign of Him who died for all.
Could ! have my way these graves
would never be disturbed The loving
care Of the French people has made
them beautiful and the peace which
reigns here should be unbroken. l in
tend no disagreement with those gold
star mothers at home who asked that
the bodies of their sons be returned
to the land which bore them, but |
think that in following this natural
impulse they may have acted without
full understanding of the true condi.
tions. Could they be with us here to-
day and see what l see they would not
deprive their boys of their places in
this field of honor where glory guards
with solemn round the bivouac of the
dead
Last Visit as Ambassador
This is the last visit shall pay this
cemetery as on official representative
Of the country which sent it's soldiers
across 5000 miles of ocean to fight for
civilization. This is place Of duty
done. Every cross before us marks the
grave of hero who died that others
might live. Each is symbol of earthly
sacrifice for which there is heavenly re-
ward. Let Us, therefore, praise these
dead, but not pity them, for theirs is
the higher state"
Marshal Petain, after having alluded
throughout the United States to-day
for the soldiers who fell in battle.
said.
May those families, whose tears are
the more bitter for not having near
them the glorious remains of their
children, know Of the veneration with
which we French guard these sacred
guests, and Of the homage which we
pay to their glorious memory"
The Marshal eulogized the greatness
of ideas and feelings that had sus-
tanned and guided the combatants, add
ing:
cause of the right, / come again to
salute you in the name of your French
brothers in arms and in the name of
all France, and I send to your griev-
ing and proud families an EXPIRE ssion
OF admiration for the heroes you were,
and OF our eternal gratitude toward
your valiant country"
Decoration Coveted Privilege
Turning to Mr.. Wallace, Marshal
Petain said:
"Mr. Ambassador. you have ex-
pressed eloquently your regret at ses-
ing, removed from the soil of France,
little by little, the American tombs.
We regret it as you do. We would
have. wished each year TO have the
privilege of befowering, as has been
done to-day by the Souvenir Fran
cais,' these tombs of the friends ADOPT
ed by our country.
I'm the absence Of this material tie
between our two peoples we will guard
IN our hearts the memory Of our bat
ties, of our hopes, of our victories and
OF our century-old affection. These are
the solid bases of an eternal friend.
ship and cooperation. When you re-
turn TO your great country, MIR. Am
passador, taking with you the warn, J
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