The Bismarck tribune., 1922-05-22
MEMORIAL DAY
! T0BE0BSERVED
T|'HRU!0y|Y WORLD
Legion Posts in France, Belgium,
Poland, Turkey, Will Visit
Old Battlefields
LEGION POSTS SUBSCRIBE
Central Committee in France
Will Receive Funds For
Decorating Individual Graves

indianapolis, Ind, May 22.-iMemOr-
ial Day, May 80, will be generally OBJ
served throughout the world this year,
due in large part to the efforts OF tho
American Legion. according to an an
nouncement made at Legion head
quarters here today. The statement
says:
Originally designated by the Union
veterans of the Civil War as par
(ticular Decoration Day for their fallen
comrades, May 90 gradually has be-
come day set apart in memory of all
Americans who died for their coun-
TRY Although it has long been the
custom of many Southern states to
observe q memorial holiday of their
own on April 26, the tendency to a
uniform observance has been apparI-t
|ent since the world war. The Legion,
composed Of both the North and the
South, officially adopted May 80 as
its Memorials Day and posts OF the
World War men on both sides Of the
Mason Dixon line have, for the last
three years, simultaneously honored
the dead of the Civil. Spanish Ameri-
can and World wars. Il,
"As it did last Year and the year
|hefor,, the Legion will decorate and
hold appropriate exercises over the
grave of every American who sleeps
on foreign soil, as well as thus honor.
ing the graves of American and AL
lied veterans who are buried in the
cemeteries of this country. Legion
posts in France, Belgium, Poland and
Turkey will visit old battlefields and
adjacent cemeteries.
"The United States graves registra-
tion service has completed its huge
task of returning to this country the
bodies ,of 4,O23 of the A. e. F. who died
overseas, but 10000 Americans still
remain permanently buried in ceme-r
|teries of the Allied nations. 81
"To finance the Memorial Day dec
oration Of graves overseas, each Of the
|Legion's 1900 posts was asked to
subscribe an amount equal to five
cents for each OF its members, A
central committee Of the Legion in
France will receive the funds from
this country and have charge OF dec
Grating the individual graves. 81.
"a similar plan lof keeping a close
and honored watch on graves Eof
Americans buried overseas has been
evolved. There will be in France
four principal cemeteries wherein men
,cf the A. E. F. will sleep, forever At
present special Fine Arts commits
son is working on the project which
will entail for the. collection Of bodies
and the Identification of cemeteries,
an expenditure of more. than $1;OOO.-
OC0. These fields of horor will be
located at Belleau Wood, near Chateau
Thierry; Bony, near ST Quentin;
Sursnes, near Paris, and Romagne, in
the Argonne, near Montfaucon. More
than 500 Americans will remain buried
in England. A gift of land by the Brit
ish government allows for the future
decoration and care of these graves.
Under plans already advanced lit
tie cemetery for those Americans. who
died in England, Ireland, Scotland and
Wales will be located at Bnookwood,
Surrey, England.
"This year still fewer of the proud,
white haired old heroes OF '61-65 will
bear their colors and their flowers to
the sacred ground where their COM
radcs are in eternal bivouac. Last
year the thinning ranks were filled
with sturdy, tanned youngsters in
their army drabs and navy blues who
were honored to march at the side OF
tho veteran patriarchs on their holy
mission. The present Memorial Day
will find the hosts of Grant and Lee
all but dissipated and as tha, youths
of the world war strive for the hon
ored files of the vanished procession,
the day will take on new signifi-
cance.''