The Washington times., 1921-06-19
DENY THAT BODIES
| OF HERO DEAD ARE
FOULLY EXHUMED
Veterans Of Foreign Wars Re-
fute Charges Made by Owen
Wister to Legion.


and desecrated while being exhumod
for return to this country arc branded
as "maIiciousiy false" In q resoiu-
! tion received here today from Pos<
No. sos. Veterans of Foreign Wars
| now I'm France carrying out the Work
OF returning the bodies-
The text of the resolution. whicS
was adopted unanimously sta meee-
ing held May %. is a. follows:
Whereas the letter written ~
owen wister to the American Legion
has been read into the records of tbs
United States Senate, and articles
have appeared the public press OF
| the United States alleging despoila-
ton and dissertation OF the remains
| of our deceased comrades. while be-
| ing exhumed for return to thsh
homeland in accordance with the eH-
pressed wishes of next Of kin In e&ea
| case.
And further alleging that sus
comrades employed In carrying oox
this sacred work are individualr
who have been recruited from th4
sIums of eastern cities Of the Unitsd
States; who are deserters from their
divisions while on their way to the \
front; who are not Qualided for the i
work they are performing; who have
| failed to perform this sacred duty
I'm a reverent manner; are leading
riotous lives and guilty of gross In
ltoxication-
CHARGES MALIH0UsLY FALSE
BE II resolved. by Jost No sos
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the
United States. in meeting assembled:
That the said articles are ma-
iiciously false; that the insults 10
these comrades are . direct reneo-
tion on Post No. sos. Veterans Of
Foreign Wars Of the United States
many members Of which are now
employed in this sacred duty.
BE It further resolved: Thaf
the National Encampmcnt. Veterans
of Foreign Wars of the United, be
requested to issue . general refuta~
tion of those charges 70 Consress
and the American people through
the press of the United States
That Owen wister be requested
to apologize through ths public
press for his unwarrantsd. SANDER
Gus and false reflections on the
members of the Veterans Of For
eign Wars"
This resolution was adopted, accord
| ing to a letter to the adjutant general
veterans OF Foreign Wars, as the
result of press stories on Mr.. Wfsters
letter, which were forwarded 10
France by relatives of men engaged
| in the exhumation work, demands for
explanation of the true facts and
| protests against desecration Of th~
remainA
The letter states that the report cf
the Massachusetts, committee ap-
| pointed to investigate conditions OF
American cemeteries in France and
the work of the American Graves
| Registration Service was the only
authentic report of conditions 70
reach this country, and that this conn
mittee was the only one which was
authorised TO inspect every phase OF
the work performed by that servic&
SEE MALCoNTENTg PLOT.
II alleges that the Senate, howevef.
disregarded this report and called, In
stead, "a few disgruntled employees of
the Graves Registration Service who
were returned to the United States for
discharge as being Incompetent In
their work. and of such character
that the retention of their services
was not warranted"
The letter concludes with the fot-
lowing paragraphs:
"It is Of record that owen Wister
visited many of our cemeteries in
France before any exhumations were
made; and also of record that he
tried to gain admission to one of the
larger American cemeteries while
eyhumations were in progress. but
was refused, as have been all others
who were not relatives Of our de-
ceased comrades. 1t Is known by all
members of Post No. sos that Owen
wister has never visited an american
cemetery in France at the time the
exhum ations were being made. IL
is also believed by many members OF
this post who came in contact with
him that he questioned them regard
ing their work with an intent to
make malicious use OF the informa-
ton thus gained, and during his tour
Of the battlefields of France his
presence was resented by every mem
| ber of Post No. 605 with whom hA
came In contact
"This post has received the names
of hundreds of prominent citizens OF
the United States, who have visited
the American cemeteries In France
many of whom were relatives OF our
departed comrades and actually wit
messed the exhumstion of their reis-
tiyes II SO desired, this post viii
gladly forward these names to Ma
,, tionsl Headquarters for whatever uss
II may be deemed advisable to make
of them.
; "The work Of the Graves Registra-
tion Service will continue. as In the
past. with reverence and care, for
ms employees trust and believe that
their buddies in America and Ma
tional headquarters of the organira-
tion to which they belong, VIII BACK
| hap 70 ha
! performing the sacred duties assign
. ed to them"
CAII EpNM ADDER