Putnam patriot., 1921-05-06

which these thirty-fye thousand souls
had made the sacrifice.
The road through the Argonne leads
past the cemetery, which lies to the
left and to the right, in the midst of
all this shattered, ruined country
there has grown up a small village of
American barracks and bungalows
wherein live the thirty-fve or forty
Americans who are the builders and
caretakers of the cemetery. In the
office we found the superintendent of
the cemetery, Mr.. Shields, and a more
courteous and efficient superintendent
he government could not have chosen.
With him we visited the graves of two
men who ffelAih the Argonne fight,
and though the cemetery contains
nearly forty thousand men, we We're
led through the admirable plan and
records of the grounds directly to the
graves without any delay or confu-
sion
The cemetery is laid out in a square
traversed by two great avenues at
right angles. In the center stands the
huge flagpole where the Stars and
Stripes are hoisted at every sunrise.
A raised platform about this pole was
loaded with wreaths, palms and vari-
Gus floral offerings brought to the
cemetery by friends and relatives of
the dead. No flowers are allowed on
the individual graves, since there
would be many graves which would
never bear any decorations and by the
maintenance of this central stand, the
graves hold equal rank in the atten-
tion of the caretakers. The monotony
of the long white lines of crosses is
broken at various places by flower
beds and around the various divisions
of the graves, which have been cover
ed with turf brought from the South,
are carefully raked gravel paths. Each
grave is marked with heavy wooden
cross, painted white on which in black
lettering is the name of the dead SOL
der together with his rank and out
fit and the date of his death, while on
the reverse side is his identification
number and any other information
that establishes his identity.
The impression given by the Ar
gonne cemetery is one of the most
splendid care on the part of the gov
eminent. No nation that took part in
the war has given to its dead heroes
such resting place. Flowers line the
wide boundaries of the great field and
the entrance, along the main high
way, is marked by veritable, land
seape garden with the words "Ar-
gonne Cemetery" worked in gigantic
letters of flowers.
For short while we visited in the
little American village which has
grown up on the edge of the ceme-
terry Here the caretakers live with
their wives and families. Here is
maintained in the office buildings the
complete records and data regarding
every body that rests in the cemetery.
Information is freely given and every
possible effort is made TO help the Wis
itor, especially the parents and rela-
tiveS who have come to visit the ceme-
terry in large numbers ever since its
establishment, Nearby the Y. w. c.
A. maintains under the care of very
charming woman, a small reception
hall where American visitors may find
refreshment and where grieving par
ents, brought face to face with the
grave of their sons, are given such
sympathetic assistance as is possible.
Such view of the greatest of the
American eemeteries--and one must
keep in mind that there are many
others in France,-cannot but make
the visitor feel that here is the place
where the fallen soldier should lie.
here near the place where he fell
fighting. But if the present demand
for the return of the dead soldiers to
this country continues the Argonne