Show FRENCH CEMETERY TELLS WAR TALE row after row of crosses in sleepy village symbolize spirit of france 22 AMERICAN DEAD THERE woman strewing flowers upon the graves of yankee soldiers mourns the pauvres Pau barcons garcons Gar cons conel american describes visit to cemetery new york an american officer with ings army la in france has written in a letter to his wife this moving description ot of a visit to a F reach french cemetery come with me then to this little on the banks of the a sleepy little village nestled in the broad valley through which the river flows in ordinary times a village of a tew few thousand inhabitants it Is now almost empty because most of tile the people who could afford it have tied fled to safer places tasting for the second time since 1914 1014 the bitterness of the war as it affects the peaceful elvil civilian latr it Is late afternoon warm and sunny we stroll down tile the main street together past the old church once a hand handsome bome structure but now badly weather worn and almost in ruins further on we pass the ruins of an old roman wall which marked the limits of the city in caesars caesara Cae sars time lime our footsteps turn us to the right into a little lane which leads out to the country up the gentle slope and toward the front after passing under the railroad bridge the lane branches off abruptly to the right it soon boon disappears through a stone gateway and we find ourselves in the new neve cemetery called new because the demands of this terrible tour four years struggle have bare been so urgent that the old cemetery Is overpopulated it was large enough for the normal population of tile the village but death has stalked often through the streets these last tour four years arid and its victims must have room A little gravel path laid out with mathe mathematic matle straightness runs through the cemetery first aro a few civilian graves huddled together at the near end as if they had been crowded to make room for the other tenants then on the right row after row of graves of french soldiers marked by huge wooden crosses and tor for the most part covered with those hideous beadwork floral pieces that the french use on seeing them one understands how jean valjean recouped his fortunes you remember the story no doubt there were graves of infantry cavalry and artillery and once in a while that of an aviator but ulie wherever rever one goes it Is always the infantry that predominates alere Is the grave of a chinese worker there that of a mohammedan ham meilan but all bear the well known phrase which means so bo much mort pour la in patriel ia graves of americans i As I 1 wand wandered e red along through row af after ter row reading the names and wondering who their owners might have been I 1 was startled to see on the other side ot of the path palli a single bingle row of graves lit at the head of each a prim pilm little cross different somewhat from those across the way nay and painted in khaki then I 1 knew who these newcomers were there were 22 of them each bearing a little round lion tag I 1 instinctively reached up to feet feel it if mine was still around my neck these 22 among the first to give up their all for the patrie so far across the sea were arranged in perfect alignment like a platoon in drill I 1 help saying to myself well when the mabler of the great unknown commands com mauds heroes II eroes attention to muster you till nil will an awer here they were plain little graves hideous almost la III their newness anil and nary a sod to cover them kut but had they been forgotten no ko indeed for on tach ach lay a little bunch of flowers ll put there by the hie kind hands of tile the women of atle village these people are so GO kind so thoughtful they at least will never forget even as I 1 stood there thinking about all these things a woman came up very poor she seemed to be yet she carried a huge basket filled with ath flowers wah she carefully distributed all along the row As she lame fame up to we me I 1 heard her say at al anost to herself and thinking probably lat I 1 did not understand pauvres Pau garcons barcons gar cons lla ils sont venus de dc sl loin join P 1 I help it I 1 went up to her anil and shook her by the land hand and thanked her in the names of 0 those sleeping there and in the name of thelo mothers and sisters and sweethearts back home it if I 1 knew where to write I 1 would write to those 22 mothers Q and tell them that their boys are being well looked after before I 1 could say anything more to the woman she was gone she said she must keep one bunch of flowers for her mart marl over yonder on the other side of the path there were the serried ranks of the F french rench on our side of the path only one little row and then off in a far corner away from everything else a little group of german graves hid among a clump of trees as it if shrinking from the advance ing 1119 hordes of french and their new allies from across the sen sea it all symbolized so well the two armies the french and the american one great the other small but growing standing side by side against the doches bodies who lay in the corner against the stone NN wall all in the upper part of the cemetery was a group of workmen digging they had been digging nil all day long and for many days for there were many rows of graves yet unfilled there must be room for those yet to ca come me supplies for the front along the railroad that runs past tile the cemetery train af after ter train passes loaded with supplies and and men going up toward the fron t could those sleeping g here bere but know it III 1 could they but know that france ns as ever since those terrible days of 0 1914 Is standing fast fart holding the enemy at bay end and bearing the brunt of this terrific struggle I 1 they must know it for they all sleep so peacefully their part la Is done they have given everything they hail had to give and un begrudgingly for them the distant rumble of tile the cannon has no misgivings for they sleep secure in the belief that victory some day will be ours sleep on comrades for I 1 an privileged to call you comrades your work Is over you have well earned your rest those of 0 us who ars left will carry on the work you so well began just as I 1 left the gate turning homeward a strange procession proc eslon appeared down the lane and I 1 stopped to let it pass a huge camion painted war gray followed by eight grizzled rials their rifles slung over their 61 shoulders fashion they were dirty unshaven and their uniforms faded and torn but oil oh so typical of france torn and wracked cracked by four foul long years of war on the truck was painted the word munitions it was not mislabeled mis labeled for it carried cannon fodder that had served its purpose and hind had been used up in the struggle 1 I came quickly to attention and saluted it la Is a custom of the country often done without thought or feeling but this time my soul was in it I 1 was waa proud to thus render homage to one on poor common soldier as he passed on his last long match 1 open wide the gates and give the tha newcomer room I 1 give win him a corn com tor for table place in that furthest row for he must have rest and peace the leaves in the trees rustled the torn and faded flags fluttered Hutt ered and the tin tricolor cockades cockaded coc kades on each cross tinkled thus was the newcomer welcomed into his last earthly home |