| Show Briand Apostle of Peace Pac Y To Rest Best in hi Quiet Village I. I I By MINOTT 1 SAUNDERS NEA Service Benlee Writer PARIS June 29 In 29 In the presence of high officials of state representatives tives of man many peace-loving peace lands and humble peasants of ot Normandy Normand the mortal remains of ot Aristide Briand will be laid in their final resting place place- In the little country cemetery of Cocherel on July 3 3 Briand Apostle of Peace Pence will be beat beat beat at home In Cocherel n a rustic rustle hamlet unmarked on the average map and unknown in itt the outside world until fame tame came to the simple stranger who loved to walk along the banks of the Eure fish a little gossip about boul crops and meditate A flat rou hewn roughly hewn stone will mark his tomb close by a R squat coun try church Briand asked to be buried there where away from his anxious labors to bring nations together together to to- gether he found something of peace on earth The Cocherel cemetery has been enlarged to almost twice its familiar size to accommodate the Briand grave discreetly removed from the highway high high- way Something of a controversy has arisen between sections of the commune commune com corn mune over a fitting monument to the memory of the great man whom all now wish to claim Cocherel itself has ha its us plans for a memorial but accordIng accordIng according accord- accord Ing to members of Briand's family and closest friends he expressed th the wish that no monument be raised there because he felt it would not be becoming to the simplicity of ot CochereL Coche- Coche reL reI I Accordingly the commune of sur Pacy-sur-Eure to which Cocherel belongs belongs belongs be be- longs Is planning to erect a stately monument depicting Briand leading stricken men out of their difficulty Briand first went to Cocherel in 1909 when he was premier He was tired of the city and told his chauffeur chauffeur chauffeur to drive out into the country no matter where When he came into the peaceful village and saw the quiet river he stopped the car and spent a along along along long time roaming about Finally he heran heran heran ran out of ot and strolled into I the village cafe and tobacco shop He discovered that he could get something to cat there and sat down at one of the three white while marble ta ta ta- bles He lie loved the place so much that he came again and again and when questioned he told the proprietor that he came from Paris and that his name was wac Bertrand His meals were of the simplest costing only 10 or 15 cents and he loved to look out of the window into the dusty street Cocherel discovered who this stranger stranger stran stran- gel ger was quite by chance He was eatIng eat eat- ing peacefully one evenin evening when a acar acar l car drove up and some city folks got out The men were having a drink when one of them exclaimed ts ther Briand in there The others looked and nodded in surprise Later the proprietor came to the table of or Bertrand tad blId said rather crossly Monsieur h land you OU have been deceiving me Briand had to a amit mit It it but expressed ex ex- pressed the hope that Q e could come rome back again as Today there Is a plaque over the table which Bri Briand md alwa always s 's O occupied in that little cafe which reads At this table sat M. M Le Lc President Briand Brianti In France the premier Is officially president of ot the council and is always addressed as Monsieur Ic Ie President The peasants of Cocherel soon got to know who Briand was but this didn't make any dl difference because to them he was as always the simple stran stran- ger For a long time they were vere very hazy about what he did In Paris He got to know them all and md never failed to stop and pass the time of day and chat about things that were Uppermost uppermost uppermost upper Upper- most in their minds He became one of them But since then Cocherel has hns changed considerably They are arc selling selling sell sell- ing Briand postcards and opening up the town for the tourist business The three houses where Briand lived at various times are sights of interest and part of the town tour It is almost certain that the little village will be a center for pilgrimages pilgrimages pilgrim pilgrim- I ages where those who believe in the policies of Briand will gather and pay homage to the Apostle of Peace |
