The Cordova daily times., 1922-05-17
MEMORIAL DAY
 BE OBSERVED BY LEGION

INDIANAPOLIS, May 17.-Memorial Day, May 30, will be generally ob- served throughout the world this year, due in large part to the efforts of the American Legion, according to an an nouncement made at Legion headquar- ters here today. The statement says:
 Originally designated by the Union veterans of the Civil War as particu- lar Decoration Day for their fallen comrades, May 30 gradually has be- come a day set apart in memory of all Americans who died for their country. Although it has long been the custom of many Southern states to observe a memorial holiday of their own on April 26, the tendency to a uniform observance has been apparent since the World War. The Legion, con- posed of both the North and the South, officially adopted May 30 as it's Me morial 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-American and World wars.
 "When the Inter-Allied Veterans Federation, made up of World War veterans of France, England, Canada, Italy and the others of the Allied nations and of which the Legion is member. adopted the Legion's date for the observance of rites for the dead, May 30 become an international holi- day, comparable only in universal Ob- servance to Christmas. This year is will be observed by Legion posts and Allied veterans organizations in tEe following countries other than the United States: Canada, Belgium, France, Poland, Turkey, Mexico Ar gentina, Brazil, British Isles, Chile, China, Cuba, Guatemala, Japan, Peru, Porto Rico, Portugese, West Africa. Santo Domingo, Spanish Honduras, India, Venezuela and in the Canal Zone, Hawaii, Philippine Islands and the Territory of Alaska.
 AS it did last year and the year before, the Legion will decorate and hold appropriate exercises over the of k,,,n nri1 who c1pnnc 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 it's huge task of returning to this country the bodies of 42,023 of the A. E. F. who died overseas, but 3O,OOO Americans still remain permanently buried in cemeteries of the Allied nations.
 'To finance the Memorial Day dec oration of graves overseas, each of the Legion's 11,000 posts was asked to subscribe an amount equal to five cents for each of it's members. A central committee of the Legion in France will receive the funds from this country and have charge of decorat- ing the individual graves.
 Several months before Memorial Day Hanford MacNider national com mander of the Legion, sent each post a request that exercises this year bA made as personal as possible. With this end in view" MT. MacNider wrote, "the Legion is ready to make special efforts to aid relatives and friends who think on Memorial Day not so much of the whole army of the dead as they will of some one youth who went forth to fight and did not come back" Gold star parents, desiring that especial attention be paid to the grave of their departed, requesting a certain type of floral decaration or religious ceremony, were asked to communicate their wishes to the or ganization's national headquarters here, from which they were relayed to the Legion post nearest the place of burial.
 "The Legion will not confine it's ex ercises and decorations to the memory I of World War heroes alone. The graves of all veterans of all American wars will be visited and decorated and
 fittingly honored. Last year the or
 ganization requested it's posts anc
 units of the Legion Auxiliary to seek