The Colorado statesman., 1921-06-18

the United States the bodies Of over
| 5000 American soldiers who obeyed
the last call In France while serving
their country and sister republic In
the hour of need. Many OF these
bodies have been brought to Wash
ington for interment in the great ma
tionnl cemetery ut Arlington.
Everywhere In Washington at this
present time there Is in evidence the
red poppy Of Europe. 1t is the poppy
of Flanders field, the poppy of the
valleys of the Murne and the Moselle,
: and of the fields bordering the
stretches of the Meuse and the for
ests of the Argonne.
1t seems to me that this Hover
which has been adopted as the Me-
mortal Duy flower by the American
Legion, deserves of Itself somes spe-
| cinl consideration. IL was remarkable
how the blood.red poppy of France
took hold OF the Imagination OF the
American soldiers. For centuries IN
France 1t has been regarded in
sense us the war flower. or perhaps
rather us the flower of wur's after
nath. Its color likewise has been
| significant of sacrifice, and as IL
grows abundantly ON virtually all the
buttletields of France, and the wlloIe
country at one time or another mas
been u battlefield. 1t has come to DE
looked upon as at once companion
and memorial to the dead heroes
of the land.
| have found that many Ainerlcahs
believe that the red poppy of France
which blows also in Flanders fields. Is
essentially spring blossom. 1t Is
true that the poppy is more abundant
| in the spring than al other seasons OF
the year, but from April until NOvem-
ber here and there through the fields
the red poppy always may be seen.
| have seen it in prOfusiOn growing
| in the fields between the lines Of the
| French and the German armies. in
the foot hills of the NOsges, in late
April and in early May. | have seen
| it noddlng with the passing winds in
| the fields of the advanced zone north
of the AIurne in the months of Sep
tember, October and November.
The French SOLDIERS look on the
| poppy as symbolic flower. They
| have an extreme sympathy with it
! and their feeling toward the blossom
| quickly extended itself to the banks
of the American armies. The tblQs'
SONS of this plant. which has been.
the theme of soldier and civilian poets
for years is single, and yet its petals
have tenacity of adherence To the
stem which is unusual in flowers 50
sparsely Ieaved. The American sol
dier, not over given in the main to
sentiment, used to pluck and wear
the popples. Many an American went
into battle with II poppy in the button.
hole of his blouse.
The American Legion took .cognl
Znnce of these things when it adopted
the poppy as its memorial flower. So
far as | know the European poppy Of
this species does not grow i'm Amer
icn.
Flowers Profuse in Francs.
In France us in America today at
| this time of the year natures floral
feast is spread. In 1915, two years
before the United States entered the
war. | was with the French armies in
the fields along the Moselle river near
| Pont- IA Mousson, and not far from the
great city of Nancy, which ut that
time was only eight miles from the
German line. In that year my, So
journ on the eastern front included
part of April and part of May.
Looking over the fields which were
semipeaceful. because at that time
the Moselle region was Il comparative
~ quiet sector, one easily could inn
agine himself to be back in the
meadows of America. The blood-red
poppy was the only. floral stranger TO
the eye.
The dandelions. the buttercups, the
daisies and the clover all grew abund-
antly in the fields, and so far as the
unscientitic eye could determine. there
was no difference between the species
of these plants growing there in the
embattled fields of France. and those
growing in the peaceful fields Of
America. q.
In the spring of 1915 at memorial
time, the thought came to me for
chilly that perhaps before long in
those fields would be enacted the trag-
edles which would add to the solem-
nifty and the Significance of future
Memorial days in the United States.
The Lusitania had just been sunk.
and news of 1t had come, to France.
From that hour it seemed to be the
belief of Frenchmen, and of such
Americans as were in France that
the entrance of the United States, an
to the war was inevitable. The fu-
ture gave substance to the thought.
Hindu Music. .tr 81
| Be il in devotion.' in love or in