Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-25

this one graveyard, 14.0ce grasses, each
of which had represented the same
bereavementS to some sad mother.
Mine was not solitary martydom,
only an element In q many times larger
community Of grief.
How still 1t was. here In the great
cemetery in the hills Of France. None
of the usual sounds Of coming day
reached this far. Day came slowly.
glowing like o rose, out Of the East
AS 1t unfolded, the crosses ON these
many graves began 10 separate them
selves from the mass and to assume
individual identities. Out Of 1t all there
the swells of which could be heard, as
the beat OF waves on q distant beach.
It seemed supernatural to me that this
music should come out of the very still
ness. ] later learned that 1t was from
an organ In q church miles away. Be
| fore saw the sun appear, its slanting
rays tipped this field Of crosses with
gold, and 1t seemed to me that they
| were so many Easter lilies and that
they moved back and forth In the
gentle breeze.
Death Ennobled by Heroism.
While watched, q car stopped ct
the gate and tall young man whom
knew to be an American came up the
walk, stopped at the edge Of the crosses.
stood immcbile and looked out upon
them. dressed and went out and
stood beside him.
| why are they here?" ] asked.
Because" he said lit was their good
fortune. Instead of coming to their
or age, 1t was given to them to die glo-
riously at their high moment Of life,
ennobled by their service, exalted by
their heroisn, thrilled by their great
adventure. How much better It Is than
conventionally as the multitudes gol"
We walked down to my boys grave,
trim and serene among its fellows. II
always hover near. There was no place
here for bitterness and resentment. My
mind went back to the tears In gen.
erals eyes, to the appreciation of q
Frenchman who waited on table, to my
country's loving care of the graves of
its dead, to the fOrtitude Of the Roose-
| velts, to the insignificance of one small
grief in the presence of Verdun. to the
community of grief with the mothers
of all these sons, to the prayers Of my
hostess, to the philosophy Of this boy
by my side. Sorrow, resentment and
hatred, In the presence of these, were
\ unworthy Of mother of the Gold Star
I should put thtm out Of my life. So
peace came to me. Is with me now, and
I trust will travel with me to the end
of the road.
My boy is only one Of the more than
10000 who lie buried overseas. I wish
that the mother of each of them might
make the trip to her sons grave, as
did. 1t would help bring to them the
peace that I have, found. .-.
Mothers and widows Eligible.
Both mothers and widows are eligible
70 make the trip. But those who fought
the war were young men mostly and
unmarried, and the number Of widows
relatively Is not great. In addition,
those widows who have remarked are
not eligible. So, it works out. 90 per
cent Of those who plan TO make this
pilgrimage are mothers. -,
Nearly 5000 will go to France this
Summer. Another 3,609 will make the
trip next year. There are 5000 others
who are eligible who probably win not
make the trip at all. The mothers Of
our World War dead are well along In
years. Twelve years after the end of
the war their average age Is 65.. For
the most part they are modest, elderly
ladies' who have travelled little or not
at all And although great care Is be-
ing taken to see that they will encoun-
many of them 1t is simply too much.
But the added years could not dis
courage all OF them. One Gold Star
mother of 81 and another who u 90
Will make the trip this Summer.
For number Of years now the idea
Iof this pilgrimage has been developing.
The Society of World War Mothers was
formed shortly after the war and sug-
4 gestlons have come from It. Various
members of Congress have introduced
Dllls looking toward the pilgrimage and
the maj enactment Is combination Of
these.
Q. M. C. to Guide Party.
The trip throughout will be under the
guidance OF the Quartermaster Corps of
the Army. That branch cares for the
cemeteries of France and it Is hitting
that 1t should be given the responsibility
OF taking the Gold Star Mothers 10 the
graves Of their sons So far as Is posi-
BILE groups are being made up so that
mothers who know each other or who
come from the same State win make
the trip together.
Every Gold Star Mother win be the
| guest OF the Government from the
moment she leaves her home, wherever
j IL may be, until she has returned to IT,
Each has been mailed an attractive
symbolic badge. This consists Of q gold
medallion, featuring gold star within
. circle upon the circumference of
which Is inscribed Pilgrimage Of
Mothers and widows"
Leaving her home with this badge
pinned on her dress, the mother takes
q taXicab to the station at the expense
or her Government. She has IN her
pocket the necessary railway transport
tation to New York, with reservations
for lower berth throughout the trip
II she finds it necessary to transfer
from one station to another-aS for In
stance, IN Chicago-railway attendants
or representatives OF the Quartermaster
Corps will see to every detail for her.
Money for meals, for tips, for every in
c1dental will be provided.
Arriving In New York, this World War
Mother will be taken to hotel. Army
doctors and nurses will be at her beck
and call. Two days in New York to rest
from the fatigue of the railroad journey
and then to sea in the best of seasons in
the best of ships. still under Army chap
| eropage.
Land at Cherbourg.
The landing will be at cherbourg.
Special boat trains will be waiting to
take them to Paris. There again the
best hotel accommodations will be pro-
vided, and Army officers, Army doctors
and Army nurses will dance attend
ance. The French also are dispensing
entertainment and courtesies to these
honored mothers. Many functions, off,
cial and otherwise. have been arranged
for them. Two days will be spent in
Paris, after which the visitors will be
broken UP into groups of 20 or 80, de-
pending on the cemeteries In which
their sons are buried and taken In vom-
Portable buSses out through the pleasant
French countryside to their poiits Of
destination. pa